


The Affliction of War

by StrawberryGirl87



Series: The Affliction of War [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-11
Updated: 2015-05-26
Packaged: 2018-02-20 18:17:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 27
Words: 206,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2438327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StrawberryGirl87/pseuds/StrawberryGirl87
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry has a great job as head Auror, he has more money than he knows what to do with and yet he knows that something is missing in his life. His friends have moved on and created lives of their own beyond the war with Voldemort and yet Harry just feels lost. Until a new mission is given to him and he is sent to America but things are not as they first appear.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The New Mission

Kingsley Shacklebolt was not in the best of moods as he headed out into muggle London for his impromptu evening meeting. His mind was fraught with concern as he went over the plan of action that he had spent days figuring out. It had required time and a high level of attention to detail as it involved someone of extreme import, not only to him but to the entire wizarding world. He hadn’t had as much time to prepare as he would have wanted, this meeting wasn’t supposed to be for another week but recent information had forced them to speed up their plans. 

There was a whole new threat to deal with, it was a threat that they hadn’t seen the likes of since the times of Voldemort. The grumblings of power had begun over a month ago and not willing to make the same mistakes as his predecessor’s, Kingsley had sprung into action immediately. He wasn’t willing to take any chances, not when it concerned the young man who had become a shining beacon of hope for the entire wizarding world.

When he had taken Harry Potter on as an Auror he had known that the position would put the boy in unnecessary danger but that had been what Harry had wanted. He had passed both the mental and physical evaluations required for the job and Kingsley had seen no reason not to employ him when he had already shown his worth when it came to fighting dark wizards. However what the Minister for Magic had not been expecting was for a new threat to arise against the young man. 

He had promoted Harry to head Auror before his time to get him out of the field and therefore out of harm’s way, a strategic move on his part and yet it still hadn’t protected him. The Ministry wasn’t safe any more, information was being leaked out to the enemy that didn’t yet have a face. Kingsley could trust no one but he knew that he had to keep Harry safe. 

The Minister knew better than to simply try and to protect Harry, he was headstrong, stubborn and wouldn’t just hide away not even if it meant saving his life. The young man was undoubtedly a fighter, he had to be to have survived everything that he had. If he was told the truth about what was happening then he would want to be a part of the fight and Kingsley worried that he wouldn’t survive this one or that he simply wouldn’t want to. 

Whatever was coming for him this time it was not Voldemort. It was something else entirely and it would stop at nothing to have him dead and buried whatever the cost and no matter how much collateral damage was done. This was why the Minister was going to enlist some help; he had a plan, a plan that would keep Harry safe and all he needed was for this meeting to go as he planned.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------x

Wandering the corridors of the Ministry of Magic where he worked, on his way to see the Minister for Magic himself, Harry Potter had allowed himself to become lost in thought as he allowed his feet to lead him to where he needed to be. His musings were a way of offering himself a distraction from the mess he had made of his life, though Harry hadn’t found him wandering through pleasant thoughts however, instead he had found himself considering what Ron and Hermione were up to.

His two best friends had sent him a present and a card for his birthday, they had arrived by owl early that morning, which was nice of them seeing as they had at least remembered that it was his birthday but he hadn’t seen them in a few months now. 

He knew that it was partly his fault, he had allowed himself to become overwhelmed with his work and they had other things to worry about now other than him. Their first child, Rose had been born last year and they were still adjusting to life being parents as well as both of them working demanding jobs at the same time. They were still friends and probably always would be but they weren’t as close now as they once had been. 

Ron and Hermione had however asked him to be Godfather of Rose Weasley and that was why Harry had made the effort to go and see his little God-daughter several times since she had been born. The problem with visiting them however it was always a little awkward being there whenever Ginny was too. The romance between the two of them had died before it had ever really begun, the war having flung them together and torn them apart in very quick succession. She was now dating Justin Finch Fletchley of all people. Harry was happy for her though, she deserved someone normal in her life who could give her the life and the happiness that she wanted. Everyone knew that Harry wasn't exactly normal, he hadn't been the same since he had killed Voldemort. 

He couldn't bring himself to visit Teddy, Remus and Tonk's beautiful son. He couldn't look that little boy in the eye knowing that he had been unable to save his parents. Teddy was another orphan of war, just like Harry had been and Harry knew to leave the child well enough alone. He was poison and he wouldn't inflict that on an innocent boy. 

Work had taken the place of friends and any serious romantic relations in his life, his dedication to his job as an Auror at the Ministry of Magic had landed him the position of head of the department and also the title of youngest head Auror in over a century at just twenty-seven years old. Not that that mattered to Harry however, it was just another title to add to a very long list of titles that had been given to him over the years, titles that he cared very little for.

The job did have its perks though, he couldn’t deny that even if it wasn't what he had wanted. While all the other Auror’s had their own tiny cubicles to work in and spent the majority of their time out in the field rather than in the office, Harry had been given his very own and very large office and was thought of as rather important. Not that Harry felt it, now that he was rarely out in the field he felt his Auror training and life experience was wasted, sitting behind a desk, filing paperwork that related to what the other Aurors were doing. 

Aside from a few brief sexual liaisons, which rarely lasted longer than a single night, his life was dominated by his work. He took comfort in it when his life lacked everything else. He had been trained for this, defeating Dark Wizards, capturing them, even killing them. Ever since he had destroyed Voldemort he had been floundering, trying to find a place in the new world, not really fitting anywhere and believing that he should have died. He felt as if he were drowning a lot of the time, so out of control of his own life, going through the motions and doing what was expected of him. 

No one else really understood that, they all thought that he should have been happy, he had a safe job that paid well too. He was alive, when so many others weren’t. He was a celebrated hero, beloved by so many and because of that he attended countless charity dinners, gala dinners and other Ministry of Magic functions that supplied him with an endless supply of witches and wizards to satisfy his more carnal desires, however brief the flings he had were. 

He should have been content with what he had but of course he wasn’t. He was downright bored with his life. It was empty, devoid of life, a constant stream of meaningless parties and even more meaningless sex. He had reached the top of his chosen career, received all the honours that he could have ever wanted and had more money then he knew what to do with, there was nowhere else to go for him. All he was missing was someone to love and care about, a family of his own but he couldn’t even have a normal romantic relationship and build a family without it coming down to him being the great wizarding hero so in the end so he had simply given up. 

He had spent so much of his life fighting to survive that it seemed he had forgotten to live. Everyone else had moved on, built homes, families, lives and were thriving and here he was, left behind, watching his friends grow up, get married and have children. He had made that possible for them and he was happy that they had managed to move on from the horrors they had all suffered through. However he wanted it for himself too and yet it always seemed so far out of his grasp. Harry had never come close to having a lasting relationship let alone having children of his own. 

Instead of enjoying his twenty seventh birthday and celebrating his becoming another year older with a partner or children that he could have had if he hadn't focused so intently on his career, he was on his way to see the Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt. Harry had received an urgent summons moments before, just as he was considering going home for the day and instead of going back to his apartment in muggle London, his sanctuary and the only place he truly felt at ease, he was going to pay a visit to the Kingsley. 

He and Kingsley were friends of sorts, they had been ever since the war had ended and Voldemort had been destroyed nine years previously. However it wasn’t often that they got the chance to talk as they were both rather busy with their jobs and usually they only crossed paths at various functions that they were both forced to attend. In one year there would be a huge event to mark the anniversary of the end of the war, a full decade since the final battle had ended. 

The last time that Harry had seen the Minister was at the memorial service more than a month previously and they had both agreed that they needed to have a catch up, however Harry knew that the Minister would never use an urgent summons just to have a chat. Whatever it was, that Kingsley had summoned him so urgently to discuss, it was serious.

He couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy as he approached the Minister’s office, unsure of what would be so important to have him be summoned at nearly five in the evening on a Friday night when most of the other staff had long since gone home for the night. He himself had been planning on drowning his sorrows of another birthday spent alone in a large bottle of fire whiskey. Though it seemed that his plans would have to wait for a while. 

Harry, reaching the door to Kingsley’s office, took a deep breath and knocked, calling out, “Kingsley,” to let the man know that it was him on the other side of the door. When he heard the Minister bid him entrance he opened the door and went inside. “You wanted to see me?” he asked, entering the familiar office that always seemed to be a mass of papers and all sorts of odds and ends that were forever changing.

Looking up from the handful of parchment that he had been scanning he gave his visitor a small smile, “Ah, yes, I did, come in, Harry,” The tall black wizard said in his usual deep voice. Harry never ceased to be amazed at how impressive a man he was. His familiar single gold hooped earring glinted in the light, his presence dominating the room with very little effort. “Close the door, what I’m about to tell you needs to stay between the two of us.” 

Harry nodded, though not liking the ominous tone that the Minister was using he understood the need to maintain a certain level of privacy. Doing as he had been instructed he began to feel increasingly nervous about what was to come. It felt as if there were a lead weight in his stomach, he hated this feeling of uncertainty. Whatever the Minister had called him here to talk about it wasn’t anything good. However along with the anxiety of not knowing there was a hint of excitement, this was what he lived for. 

They both settled in the only available seats in the room, Kingsley taking his position behind his desk and Harry taking up residence in the comfortable arm chair in front of him, waiting for the inevitable. There was an uneasy atmosphere between them as silence descended and Harry thought he saw a glimmer of something in the Minister’s eyes, though Harry couldn’t be sure what it was or what it meant. 

“Harry, I’m sorry to summon you here but a matter has come to my attention and it calls for only the best at my disposal to deal with it, my best being you.” The Minister began, an obvious strain showing on his aging face, the job he was doing seemed to be draining him of life. He was not the man that Harry had once known. Harry nodded his understanding, remaining silent, taking in what the Minister was saying. Harry already knew that he was good at his job, he didn’t need to be told this nor did he need to be praised. If he wasn’t the best he wouldn’t be head of the Auror office at only twenty seven even if he was the boy-who-lived and the man who had destroyed Voldemort. “Have you ever heard of an organisation called S.H.I.E.L.D?” Kingsley asked, his eyes trained on the young man in front of him. 

Harry furrowed his brow at the unexpected question, trying to think if he had ever come across the name of the organisation before but he couldn’t think of a time when he had, it didn’t even sound familiar to him at all “No, I don’t believe I have,” he responded honestly with a shake of his head. 

“I didn’t expect that you would have,” Kingsley said honestly with a nod of his head, still not looking overly happy. “It stands for the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division,” he explained and his tone expressed exactly how he felt about this particular organisation. 

“I’m not sure I understand, why are you telling me this?” Harry queried curiously. After the war as he was growing up and his many years of being an Auror since, Harry knew to be sceptical and suspicious of everything. He might have been the boy-who-lived and the one to destroy the Dark Lord but that didn’t mean he didn’t still have enemies. He wasn’t quite as paranoid as Alastor Moody had once been when he had been alive but give it a few more years of being alone and he knew that he would be. It wasn’t a thought that boded well in his mind. 

“S.H.I.E.L.D is a counter-terrorism and intelligence agency based in America, however they have offices all over the world. The agency itself was founded by a man, a muggle, called Nick Fury,” Kingsley went on, leaking the information to Harry slowly and carefully. It gave Harry the impression that the Minister wasn’t exactly telling him everything. However he remained quiet, listening and giving the occasional nod to show that he understood. “Earlier this evening he contacted me and asked for my help.” 

“They asked for help?” Harry asked with confusion, mulling this over for a moment before carrying on, “But if they’re muggles, how do they know about us?” 

“The statute of secrecy allows us to be in contact with a number of muggle government agencies across the world to ensure that they are well warned of any potential threats that may cross the boundaries and vice versa,” Kingsley explained. Harry had of course known that the Minister of Magic and the Prime Minister were on speaking terms, however Harry had had no idea exactly how far the statute of secrecy went. Apparently it went pretty far if it stretched to organisations such as S.H.I.E.L.D. 

“So there is a threat that they’re facing and they want our help?” Harry asked, just to clarify and Kingsley nodded his head. It was clear by the expression on his worn and weathered face that he wasn’t thrilled with this call for aid. “You don’t trust them?” 

“Their motives are… unclear,” Kingsley admitted. He seemed happy that Harry had picked up on this and was rather impressed that he had deducted that the situation they were now in was a somewhat precarious one. 

“Then why are we agreeing to help them?” Harry asked. He was starting to understand why it was that he had been summoned here and the idea was making his blood run a little hotter, his pulse race a little faster. This really was what he lived for. 

“There are a few reasons,” The Minister said, “What you need to know is that they wanted the best agent that I had, so I’m recommending that I send you,” the Minister said, looking at Harry imploringly. “You are the only one I can trust with this. You are the only one with enough past experience that I know can handle this.” 

“I’m guessing that I won’t be taking anyone with me on this then,” Harry said with a sigh. All his past assignments he had had a partner. He was infamous amongst the other Auror’s, even with his good name his reputation proceeded him. He never kept a partner for more than one assignment. If they survived the dangerous missions then they would quickly seek out a partner who wasn’t quite as much as a danger magnet of sorts. 

“That is correct and as long as you are agreeable of course you’ll be leaving tomorrow morning. This assignment would mean field work and working in a team of rather… unique non-magical individuals. It would also mean concealing what you were. Nick Fury knows the extent of the wizarding world but the team you will be working with do not. There will be limited to no contact with the wizarding world for the duration of the assignment, it would be too dangerous to allow.” 

“I’m agreeable,” Harry said with a sigh. The thought of a mission as drastic and as dangerous as this made him feel alive for the first time in months. Turning this down didn't even cross his mind, he wanted this more than he wanted anything else in his life. He had come to terms to never living a normal life, getting married, having children. Dangerous missions was all that he had. 

Kingsley smiled, he had known that Harry would agree to this, though he didn’t exactly like the reasons behind why he had agreed so readily. He swore to himself though that if Harry survived this solo assignment then he was going to make sure the poor young man retired and found a decent life for himself that didn’t involve death or destruction and was of course void of Dark Wizards. 

“Here are the files of the individuals you’ll be working with,” Kingsley said, taking up and handing over six files from his desk to Harry, who accepted them. “I suggest you study them carefully, they are certainly an interesting bunch. You’ll have to be careful with the amount of magic you use around the man, Tony Stark, he seems to be something of a developer of computer software and weapons, items that will interfere with our magic and vice versa.”

“Fantastic,” Harry muttered sarcastically, “Though if they can’t know what I am I don’t suppose it will make much difference.” 

“I have something that might help,” Kingsley said, “These muggles are fans of their gadgets and it would do no one any good to have members of the team disabled during a fight.” As he spoke the Minister brought out a long, rectangular box, which he opened to show the contents. Inside were two silver bracelets which glimmered with a pearlescent shine that was definitely nothing from the muggle world. These were undoubtedly magical items and Harry stared at them curiously as he took the box in hand, the files resting on his lap. “I advise that these never come off, they are the only set in existence and it took a lot to acquire them on time.” 

“What are they?” Harry asked curiously as he ran his fingertips over the cool metal that seemed to glimmer beneath his touch. 

“The two bracelets allow the wearer to more directly channel and control their magic, make it usable around muggle technology. They aren’t infallible I’m afraid and there may still be interference, flickering lights and such but they will make a significant impact, though you should still use your magic sparingly.” Kingsley looked to Harry as he admired the jewellery, feeling sorry for the young man and everything he had dealt with in his life time, only to have more thrust upon him. 

“Do we know what threat they’re facing that they need help with?” Harry asked, snapping the box closed and looking back at the Minister imploringly. He wanted as many of the facts as he could before he left this office because after tomorrow he would be in the field for an indefinite amount of time, unable to contact anyone or ask for help. He would be on his own. He couldn’t wait. 

“I believe you will be briefed when you arrive in New York, I’m afraid they insisted that you fly on an aeroplane rather than apperate. I have a file here with everything you’ll need to know before you leave tomorrow morning, it includes your flight information too,” Kingsley explained handing Harry yet another file, which was accepted. 

“You still have the letters I wrote on file I assume,” Harry asked, referring of course to the letters that every Auror wrote when he took up field work. Letters that were written for the loved ones left behind if anything was to happen in the line of duty. He knew that he wouldn’t have time to talk to either of his friends before he left, if something happened to him while he was gone he needed to be sure they got those letters. 

“One for Ronald Weasley and another for Hermione Granger,” Kingsley confirmed with a nod of his head. He understood the need for Harry to confirm this but it didn’t make him happy about it. It was almost as if he expected not to be coming back. 

“Thank you,” Harry said, standing up, taking the files and the box containing the bracelets with him, holding them in one arm as he offered out his other for the Minister to shake. Kingsley did just that, holding on to the young man’s hand longer than was needed but they both understood. 

“Good luck,” the Minister said with finality. Harry nodded his head and turned to leave, stopping only when Kingsley spoke again, “Oh and Harry,” he said. 

“Yes,” Harry asked, turning to face his old friend. 

“Happy Birthday,” he said with a sad smile. Harry said nothing in response, giving a small nod and leaving the Minister's office, he had a few more things to organise before heading for home, a few lose ends to tie up seeing as he wouldn't be back for a while. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------x

“He has agreed,” Kingsley said as he took a seat in the small office that looked very sparse compared to his own. His brother sat across from him behind a large desk that was clear apart from a large computer monitor that Kingsley knew better than to go near. 

“He will be on the flight arranged?” Nick Fury said in his heavy American accent. The two brothers could not have been more different. They shared a mother and little else, Kingsley's father had been a wizard and he had inherited that from him. Nick's father however had been a muggle, the two of them had grown up together in America with just their mother but Kingsley had wanted to travel the world and had left as soon as he had turned eighteen. 

“Yes,” Kingsley said with a sigh. He still didn't feel right sending Harry away, even though the intentions were good. Not telling Harry about the danger that he and the rest of the wizarding world was facing was a decision that the Minister for Magic had had to take very seriously and he still wasn't sure that he was doing the right thing. 

“Then my team will be there to meet him,” Nick said with a curt nod of his head. 

“You will take care of him, he is... precious to our world,” Kingsley said. He didn't want for his half brother to think Harry undeserving of the protection that he was asking for him. However he needed for Nick to understand just how important the young man was and despite his accomplishments, how fragile he was. 

“I understand,” Fury said, inclining his head, knowing how concerned his brother was about the boy. The two of them might not have been close, however Nick Fury liked to keep tabs on the goings on in his brothers world, if for no other reason than to monitor how likely it was to spill over into his world. 

“How is our mother?” Kingsley asked, thinking that he ought to ask while he was here, it wasn't often that he travelled this far but the port key had been necessary. He would have to remove all traces of it when he returned to the Ministry later this evening to cover his tracks but he'd do a lot to keep Harry safe. 

“As well as can be expected,” Nick said somewhat tersely. There mother was suffering quite badly from dementia and lived in a home in America that her two son's paid a lot of money to keep her in so that she would be comfortable.

“I will be in contact to ensure of Harry's safe arrival,” Kingsley said as he got to his feet, knowing that the meeting was over. They were both extremely busy men and they had very little to discuss, the small pleasantries already over and done with. 

Nick Fury gave a nod of his head and got to his feet so that he could shake his brothers hand. They might not have been the closest of brothers but they respected one another greatly. “Harry Potter will be taken care of,” Fury said as he reached forward and shook his brothers hand.

“This is much appreciated,” Kingsley said earnestly, he truly did appreciate what his brother was doing for him. Keeping Harry away from the brewing war in England was something that he was going to be grateful for, for a long time. This was not a fight that Harry needed to throw himself in head first. 

“The boy means something to you,” Nick returned as a way of an explanation as to why he was doing this, however he wouldn't be himself if he didn't have some form of ulterior motive behind it as well. 

The Avengers were a strong group of passionate fighters, however adding a wizard, especially one as powerful as Harry Potter was supposed to be, could only benefit the Avengers Initiative. Since New York, Fury had been fighting to prove that the Avengers were not a group of vigilantes. Protecting Potter was the best way to get them all together and working as a team, not causing mass destruction of public property. 

“Yes, he does,” Kingsley confirmed as he brought out the port key from within his robes, holding it in his hand ready for when it would activate in a few moments time. 

The two impressive men stood staring at each other for a few moments more before the port key activated, pulling Kingsley by the navel and taking him back to his office in the Ministry of Magic and leaving Nick Fury alone to contemplate the arrival of Harry Potter. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------x

Harry had been home for two hours, he had showered and ensured that his suitcase was packed for the flight the next morning and of course everything that could give him away as a wizard had been left behind. He had stowed it all away, concealing it in secret compartments around his home that were heavily warded so that they would be safe in his absence. His London apartment felt strange without the personal reminders of his life scattered all over the place. It was now as empty and devoid of life as he felt since the end of the Great Battle of Hogwarts. 

His mind whirled with information about his latest mission, going over all the facts, all the details in his mind. There was something different about this one, something that wasn’t quite right. Harry was sure that there had been something that Kingsley had purposefully concealed from him, he had seen it in the older man's eyes. It was only that he trusted the man explicitly that he was agreeing to go at all. He knew that the Minister for Magic would never put him directly in harm’s way just for the sake of it. 

One thing was for sure though, whatever was to come from this mission, it would certainly be an adventure and he always did crave adventures. Harry had high hopes for this mission supplying him with the adrenaline rush and the danger that he craved as part of his life ever since he had defeated Voldemort. It was an added bonus that these were new people to him, a new country even, completely apart from the wizarding world and no contact with it either. No one would know who he was, no one would judge him or want to be near him just because of the Dark Witches and Wizards he had killed and captured and that thought was freeing. 

Having poured himself a rather large tumbler of fire whiskey, Harry settled himself in his favourite armchair. Normally the fire would be on but seeing as it was the middle of summer it wasn’t needed tonight. He had the files that Kingsley had given him in hand and he had ensured the bottle of his favourite potent alcoholic beverage was within reaching distance on the coffee table in front of him, the bracelets that he had yet to put on beside it. 

Opening the first folder he took in the several photographs of a beautiful young woman who had a fierce edge to her looks, as if she had been through hell in her life time and come out the other side triumphant. Natasha Romanoff, code name Black Widow. She had an impressive list of skills and talents that was for sure. They included excellent marksmanship and martial arts, though the fact that seductress was listed amongst her skill-set told Harry that she was not a woman to be trifled with. He scanned over her history, digesting it all before moving on to the next one. 

The second folder contained information regarding a rather ruggedly handsome young man called Clint Barton, code name Hawk-eye. Harry took a slow sip of his fire whiskey, relishing the burn as it slid down his throat as he surveyed the single photograph that had been included. He seemed less inclined to have his picture taken than Natasha Romanoff it seemed. He was a muggle, just like Natasha, though just like her he also had an impressive list of skills. Whoever these muggles were they didn’t appear to be your standard, everyday muggles, they were just so much more. 

Reading over the information provided about Clint Barton, Harry realised that both of the Avengers he had read about so far would have a solid bond that would make a great fighting team that was for sure. Those kinds of bonds were key when it came to fighting as a team. It was perhaps why none of his partnerships with other Auror’s had worked out once he got to the Ministry. He had never had that bond with them, not like he had had with Ron and Hermione during the war. 

Ron had been considering a career as an Auror and Harry was all for it, thinking that the two of them would have made excellent and unstoppable partners during field work. However since the birth of Rose, Ron had been less inclined to life threatening idiocy and even though Hermione understood the need for Auror’s she didn’t really want her husband joining the ranks of the dark wizard catchers, putting his life in danger every time he went to work.

Ron had gone through all the necessary stages of becoming an Auror and Harry had thought that finally the two of them would have had the chance to work together. Ron had even got so far as to write the required letters to loved ones that the Ministry recommended any new Auror write in case something went wrong in the field. Hermione it seemed had talked him out of joining at the last minute, much to Harry’s disappointment, though he could understand why she had done it. Just in case Ron had changed his mind however, Harry had ensured that all his files and even his personal letters were kept on file at the Ministry so that he could just pick up the application process where he left off or if he ever changed his mind or managed to convincer Hermione to change hers. 

Shaking these thoughts from his head, Harry refocused his attention back on his work. He had a mission to prepare for, he couldn’t allow himself to wander so freely down memory lane, which had become a dangerous path to tread of late. It was painful there and he couldn’t be distracted when he had so much to prepare for the following day. Thinking about his friends, the friends who he had somehow distanced himself from over the months and years since the final battle. Nothing had been the same after that, too much had changed, they had been through too much together. Time had severed the once strong bond they had once had. 

Concentrating more fully on the task at hand, Harry opened the third folder, which contained details about a man called Bruce Banner who seemed to have spectacular anger management issues if the information provided was anything to go by. His code name was the Hulk and judging by the first picture of him provided in the file Harry could see why. 

The creature that Bruce Banner turned into was truly horrific and the destruction that he could cause was absolutely astonishing. It was the man behind the giant green rage monster that fascinated Harry the most however. He was desperate to talk to Bruce, it was only a shame that they couldn’t talk potions as he was sure he would have been able to help the poor man control the monster inside of him better. He had never been the best when it came to potions but he was still sure that they would have been able to help him.

Though Bruce Banner was not going to be the only one of the Avengers team that Harry wanted to have a meeting of minds with. Tony Stark was another of them that he was looking forward to meeting when the time came. Any man who could survive what he did and build and invent what he had was a man Harry was keen to meet. He understood why he needed the bracelets to more concentrate and control his magic when he read about the man whose codename was Ironman. 

As he flicked through the reports and documentation he was beginning to realise that these were not simply just muggles, they were so much more, it was clear why S.H.I.E.L.D had recruited them. That was before he even got to the file on Thor. Thor was something else entirely. To deal with his file, Harry needed a second drink. Refilling his tumbler with more fire whiskey after downing what was left of the first he continued to read. 

Thor Odinson wasn’t even from earth it seemed, something which blew Harry’s mind a little. He was used to magic now and even the eccentricities of the wizarding world that he had never known before he was eleven. However to discover that there were other worlds, Aliens even, it was astounding, even to him. He certainly wasn’t complaining however, Harry would have gladly accepted the existence of Alien’s just for the chance to ogle Thor who was an attractive man by anyone’s standards. 

The single photograph in his file showed that he was a pure Adonis of a man, it wasn’t surprising that he was literally a God. The God of Thunder to be precise. He won a load of brownie points with Harry just because he had declared himself the protector of the earth. 

It took a while to move on to the final file as he really appreciated the rather handsome God of Thunder, taking his time to read his file as he downed his second and poured his third tumbler of fire whiskey. He had become particularly enthralled with the thought of the magic hammer, the name of which had confused him and he didn’t even want to attempt to pronounce it. Though he had to admit that he was keen to see it in action. 

The final file was the one that really caught Harry’s interest though. Out of all the others where there were mentions of Aliens and transformations from human to giant green rage monsters, they were handsome, smart and Harry had found himself captivated by the information he had been given about them. However it was Steve Rogers, code name Captain America, that captured Harry’s attention so aptly now. 

He was by no means the strongest or the smartest, he wasn't even the most handsome of the group, however, from the moment he opened the file and he saw the undoubtedly strong, muscular and handsome man with blond hair and sky blue eyes, Harry was completely transfixed by him. Maybe it was because he was a little drunk from the copious amounts of fire whiskey he was drinking but there seemed to be something about Steve Rodgers and his endearingly impish smile and boyishly good looks that drew Harry in and made Harry's stomach tingle in a way that it hadn't in years. 

The man who was code named Captain America had been through a war just as he, himself had and would undoubtedly hold the same emotional and physical scars from it. A shiver went through Harry’s body as he read over the file for Steve Rodgers. He truly was a man out of his time and Harry found himself utterly transfixed by him as he read over everything he had done in his life time. The things that had happened to him, everything he had survived, Harry truly admired him. 

A combination of re-reading the report on Steve several times and the fifth tumbler of fire whiskey saw Harry falling into bed at almost three in the morning, the files on the Avengers on his bedside table, the one on Captain America sitting open on the top of the pile. Harry's head was full of new information, the faces of the Avengers haunted his dreams that night. A blissful release from the nightmares that usually plagued him.


	2. First Impressions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry arrives in New York and meets the Avengers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had a day off from work and finally got this chapter finished! Thank you so much for your comments, I'm amazed at the response I have had for this! Please enjoy this new chapter! :-)

The irritating and dreaded whistling of the alarm on Harry’s wand was what woke him only five hours later with a throbbing headache and the urge to vomit. After he had done just that and taken one of his hang over relief potions he was feeling mildly better but no less apprehensive about the day that was to come. 

His flight was due to take off in three hours and he was running a little behind. He was just thankful that he was ready to leave. Showering, scrubbing his teeth and pulling on his clothes took less than half an hour and it even made him feel a little more human as the potion began to take effect. 

The very last thing that Harry did before grabbing his wand and bags was to slip on each of the bracelets, knowing that he would need them as he ventured into the muggle world, especially considering he was about to board a plane. He didn't really want to risk messing up the electronics on board, the results could potentially be catastrophic. He felt a little apprehensive about heading to the airport, having never been on a plane before and was glad that he had had his muggle clothing adapted to conceal his wand so that it was still usable but remained hidden from view and also impossible for non-magic folk to be able to detect. 

An unexpected knock to his front door startled Harry out of his thoughts as he went through his mental check-list of everything he had to remember before he left for the airport. He narrowed his eyes, glaring at his front door, with suspicion. Harry had not been expecting any visitors, Kingsley had not mentioned anything about anyone coming to see him before his departure either and very few people had the knowledge of his home address. Above all else, Harry valued his privacy and had taken great care to keep his home as his sanctuary. Not even his casual flings had been permitted back to his home.

He had always been reluctant to erect wards around his apartment. Harry was in a dangerous line of work, that was true, however, he had never wanted to end up being that paranoid. He had a basic anti-theft charm and other such enchantments but he had never wanted to go to the extreme that he had had to go to while on the run during the war when he was seventeen. Instead he kept the address a closely guarded secret, given to only a select few that he knew he could trust. 

Edging slowly and quietly towards the door, wand drawn, Harry peered through the peep hole, trying to catch a glimpse of whoever was on the other side. Putting his Auror training to good use, Harry steadied his breathing, making himself as silent as was possible. He didn't want to be heard as he neared the front door. 

Through the distorted glass of the peep hole there was no sign of any one. It gave Harry a rather uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach, something wasn’t right and his instincts were rarely wrong. He had spent years honing them and trusted his gut instinct without hesitation. With this feeling nagging at his gut, he recalled the suspicion he'd felt the night before that Kingsley hadn’t been telling him absolutely everything. Harry honestly didn't think that the Minister for Magic had any reason to cause him harm, he trusted Kingsley, however, he was starting to think that the Minister might have had an ulterior motive for sending him to America on this mission that he hadn't disclosed. 

Carefully backing away from the front door, Harry went to grab his bags, along the way, changing his course as he remembered that he had left the files on the Avengers and the mission on his bedside table. Under no circumstances could he leave those there to be discovered; he knew he needed to cover his tracks or the mission would fail before he even managed to leave the country. Moving quickly across his living room, leaving his bags behind, he headed for his bedroom. Harry’s instincts were screaming at him that he had to move quickly. Whoever had been knocking on his door was now pounding against it, he didn't have a whole lot of time left. 

Gathering up the files, shrinking them down and pocketing them was all he had time to do before a huge explosion blasted his front door off its hinges and sent it flying across the room, colliding with the opposite wall, the wood shattering, sending splinters in all directions. His time was up and he had to leave; Harry wouldn’t even be able to grab his bags but thankfully all they contained were his clothes. Everything of importance was on his person or under such heavy protective enchantments that not even Kingsley Shacklebolt would have been able to break them, not even with the help of the entire Ministry. 

This knowledge still didn’t make it any easier for Harry to leave, however. This apartment held his most treasured possessions. His invisibility cloak, his Hogwarts memories, old family photographs and pictures of those that he loved. Everything that Harry held dear to him was either here, within these four walls or in his vault at Gringotts and he was about to leave both behind for an indefinite amount of time, possibly never to return. 

It went against all of his Auror training to run from a fight, but he could hear several voices shouting what sounded like strange spells into his apartment; he was just lucky that he was in his bedroom and not in the firing line. He didn’t need to be in the living room to know that he was drastically outnumbered, though no one had entered his home... yet. Harry was just thankful that he had moved away from the door when he had, otherwise he might never have made it to the airport. 

The mission he was on was more important than anything else now. This place was just brick and cement, his possessions, though irreplaceable to him were second to his memories and he was confident in his ability to conceal things that he didn’t want anyone to find. Whoever was out there, set on attacking him could tear apart this place and find nothing. It was with this confidence that Harry closed his eyes and apparated to the designated point that had been set up just for him close to the airport. 

A sense of unease settled over him as he departed his home, wondering how it was that someone had found him. He didn't like to think that Ron, Hermione or even Kingsley, who were the only three that knew his home address, would have betrayed him. Even then none of them had ever been there in person, Harry tended to visit them if the need arose to do so. 

There was also something about the jets of light that had been fired into the apartment, something about them had seemed off, like magic but not. Harry's head was all over the place, his mind racing with possibilities but there was no way to tell what had been going on or who had been attacking him and why. Harry wasn't sticking around long enough to find out, not when the odds were stacked so highly against him. His gut was telling him that whatever was going on it was linked, somehow, to this mission with the Avengers. The best way to get information was to stick to the plan and that meant boarding his plane to New York. 

\-------------------------------------x

“What do you think he’s like?” Bruce asked as he scanned over the file he had been given. He had been the first to arrive to the mystery location aside from Director Fury and had been reading over the rather scarce file ever since. Steve had been the next one to make an appearance, the loud roar of his motorcycle announcing his arrival. Clint and Natasha not far behind him, arriving together in a sleek black sports car. 

Each of the Avengers had been summoned together, for the first time since the aftermath of New York. Some had been more reluctant than others when they had received the summons from S.H.I.E.L.D. They were using one of Nick Fury’s random locations which the Director had deemed safe for the duration that they would need it. It was a vast, empty warehouse space that had been furnished with a table and chairs for their use only. Dank and depressing it might have been, however, considering the confidential nature of their conversation no one had been expecting luxury. 

When discussing the imminent arrival of their new charge only the most secret of locations was satisfactory to Director Fury. He knew how important this young man was, his brother had made that very clear to him. He wasn't sure who he would be able to trust with the small file that they had on Potter and he didn't want to risk it falling into the wrong hands. The last thing they needed was to put Harry in more danger. 

“Stuck up, conceited little prince probably,” Clint said unhappily, Natasha nodding in agreement. Barton had taken one brief glance and disregarded the file having already made up his mind about who this Harry Potter bloke would likely be. Natasha had read the file cover to cover with a blank expression on her face, which Clint knew to mean that she was unimpressed with what she was seeing. He didn't need to ask her for her opinion, he knew her well enough by now to be able to read her silence. 

The four present were all either sitting or standing around a large rectangular table, Bruce and Natasha still scanning over the file, Clint however had his feet propped up on the table, tilting himself back on his chair, looking extremely bored. Director Fury hadn't bothered to sit down, he stood at the head of the table, surveying the gathered Avengers, even with two of the team missing from the group. 

Of course the Avengers were not privy to any of the great things that Harry had done, that was all top secret information; the file they had been given was more than a little vague, mentioning a war in which Harry was the hero, the saver of many lives but there was very little else. It couldn't even clarify what war he had fought in without giving away too much. Fury could understand why the Avengers were a little disgruntled about the situation. 

“You don’t know that,” Steve chastised as he read over all the notes, taking care not to miss any of the details, just as Natasha was doing. Steve just wanted to be sure that he had all the information on the young man before he arrived. He wasn't convinced that Clint's attitude was the right one to have, after all they knew nothing about Harry Potter, though Steve had to admit that Clint had at least shown up to this meeting, which was a darn sight more than Tony and Thor. 

“I’m curious as to why he is our responsibility to look after,” Bruce said, thinking that this seemed to be too minor a task to call them all back together. Babysitting a twenty-seven year old man seemed to be a waste of all of their talents. It wasn't as if there weren't other more important missions for them to be occupying their time with. They all had other occupations outside of the Avengers Initiative, however mediocre they might have been. Thor didn't even belong on their planet, it was unlikely that he would return to earth for such a simple task. 

 

“And why we have to pretend he’s one of us,” Clint said somewhat bitterly, feet still propped on the table, keeping his chair tilting backwards, Natasha nodding in agreement once again at this as she shut the file and threw it down on the table, having learnt everything she needed to learn from it. None of them really cared for babysitting duty, especially not for a deluded young man who believed he was worthy of being part of the Avengers initiative. None of them could really understand why Fury was willing to put up with it, he wasn't really a man who took nonsense from anyone. 

“You should give him a chance, Harry might just surprise you,” Nick said knowingly; he of course knew all about the amazing abilities that the young wizard had and the many astounding things that he had achieved in his short life. He felt that it was a shame that he hadn’t been able to tell his gathered team of extraordinary individuals the extent of Harry Potter's accomplishments. These were the reason Fury was confident that Potter would fit in with the team so well. He was, however, slightly ashamed of them all that they would discount Harry so easily when they knew so little about him.

“This is a waste of time,” Natasha said, her voice neutral. She didn't understand why Fury had demanded she be here, he had taken her off another mission for babysitting duty, to say she was a little pissed was an understatement. This was not what she had had in mind when she had joined the Avenger's Initiative. 

“Sorry I’m late,” Tony said as he threw open the door and strolled in, clad in his full Ironman suit minus the helmet, a Starbucks Frappuccino in hand. “Wait… no I’m not,” he added with a mischievous smile as he grabbed Natasha's discarded file to read up on the reason he had been called away from his work and Pepper. 

“Good of you to join us, Stark,” Steve said disapprovingly, glancing up from the file only briefly, glaring at the billionaire for a moment before turning his attention back to the photograph of the young man that had been attached to the file. He was trying to convince himself that he was so enthralled by the file because he was trying to do his job but he couldn't lie to himself, he knew that that was not the only reason he was studying the photograph so that he had memorized every detail. 

Fury watched the way that Steve studied the file rather intently, focusing on the two photographs that had been supplied. The first of the two pictures attached to Harry's file was the one that had been taken of him when he had first entered the Ministry of Magic as an Auror when he was only seventeen. Of course it didn’t move, those particular bits of magic had been removed from the photo before it had been handed over to the muggles but it was still a rather striking photo. Harry’s black hair was sticking up all over the place in its usual lacklustre style, his brilliantly green eyes looking directly into the camera, no longer hidden behind the glasses that he had worn throughout his childhood as they had been against Ministry regulation. 

A second picture had also been supplied, this one far more recent; gone was the small awkward teenager that he had once been, Harry was a young man now. It had been taken when he had been promoted to Head of the Auror office, though, of all of them gathered only Nick Fury was privy to that information. Harry had bulked up between the times that the two pictures were taken due to his Auror training and he had gained a few new battle scars too. 

Although he was still smaller than he should have been for his age, he was rather impressive when the two photographs were compared. Steve couldn’t take his eyes off either of them. There was something about this man that had captured his attention and he couldn’t work out what it was. He thought that maybe it was the fact that they had both been through war that had ignited this kinship he now felt, though it didn’t state which war Harry had fought in and Steve was curious. 

Clint and Natasha were sat saying nothing, both of them looking rather unhappy still. Clint insisting on acting like a petulant teenager and Natasha looking as if she might kill someone if provoked. Tony's constant and deliberate slurping through a straw was not helping to ease the tension in the room either and was actually making the situation worse. 

“It mentions that he was in a war,” Steve said, voicing his thoughts as he continued to scan over the information in the file. So little detail had been given to them and it made Steve suspicious as to why this might be when they were being asked to protect him. He found himself wanting to know why it was going to take five, if not six of them, if Thor made an appearance at all, to protect one man. 

“That information is, unfortunately, classified,” Fury said with a tone of exasperation, trying to ignore the irritating slurping sound coming from Tony as he drank his Starbucks while perusing the file, a look of boredom on his face. 

Fury was bound by the statute of secrecy to keep what he knew about Harry Potter and the wizarding world to himself. Even if he had wanted to share what he knew he wouldn't have been able to tell the gathered Avengers anything about the Great Battle of Hogwarts or the Dark Wizard, Voldemort, whom so many had died to defeat. The information that he was privy to just wasn't information that they needed to know to ensure that Harry remained out of the clutches of whatever danger Kingsley believed him to be in. 

“Classified?” Clint demanded, clearly outraged by this response. Removing his legs from the table and sitting forward so that he could better glare at Fury, even Natasha folded her arms over her chest looking rather put out that she was being asked to do this task that was so clearly beneath her and her skill level. “If we're protecting the little brat then we should know.” 

“If it's the reason we have to protect him then we should know,” Natasha stated, clearly just as annoyed as Clint at the fact more information was being withheld from them. She wasn't a woman that was accustomed to being kept in the dark or being denied what she wanted. 

Steve said nothing, more than happy to remain looking at the picture in his hand, studying the young man as Clint had his little temper tantrum. Steve couldn't deny that he was curious, Harry was meant to be a war hero, a man who had saved many lives and taken down the one responsible for starting the war in the first place. Whoever had written the file on the young man clearly thought very highly of him. 

“Information surrounding Harry Potter is classified,” Fury repeated, more firmly this time, not liking Barton's attitude or that Natasha was taking the same stance as him, though Fury had a feeling that Stark was going to be a whole lot worse. Tony had remained unmoving, scanning over the file and slurping gracelessly at his Frappuccino. 

“If Director Fury says that the information is classified we should accept that,” Banner said, forever the calm voice of reason. “When does he arrive?” 

Natasha was still looking rather dubious about the whole situation and shared a look with Clint who jerked his head in a brief acknowledgement that they were on the same page. He didn't like this any more than she did. The two of them had worked for S.H.I.E.L.D before, they knew just how many secrets Fury was capable of keeping and they knew better than most that if he didn't want them to know then only Stark would be able to get the information from the computers, which was perhaps why they were meeting at a safe house that didn't have any. 

“His flight is due to land at 12:42 this afternoon at JFK, you will be there to meet him off the plane,” Fury said, keeping his voice firm and authoritative. As usual he felt as he he were talking to a bunch of rowdy school children who didn't know how to behave and had lost control of their hormones. 

“I'll send a driver to collect his highness,” Tony said as he closed the file and threw it unceremoniously on to the table. “Is that all?” 

“No,” Fury said, his patience being tested by the arrogance of Stark. The others might all have felt as if their time was being wasted, however, Tony was acting like it. “I have requested that he stay at Stark Tower along with the rest of the team.” 

“Then I'll send Happy,” Tony replied dismissively as he put down his now empty Frappuccino cup on the table in a rather decisive action. 

“The whole point is that you are there to meet him,” Fury said, steadily losing all patience with the arrogant attitude that Stark was displaying. Clint and Natasha had both gone on the defensive and actually seemed as if they might agree with Tony. Banner was the only one sitting out of the fight, as was his nature to do so. 

“I will be there,” Steve said as he finally closed the file, tearing his eyes from the pictures and refocusing on the gathered group in front of him. 

“I suppose, if we are simply meeting him at the airport then I will too,” Bruce said with a sigh, thinking that it was probably for the best. He didn't exactly trust Director Fury entirely but if he was asking them to do something then there was likely a good reason for it. 

“Excellent, that covers it then, see you at my place for dinner, we'll have Shawarma,” Tony said with a wry smile, remembering the last time they had eaten it together. 

“Better be an improvement on what we ate last time,” Clint commented making Natasha roll her eyes. Fury didn't seem impressed with their banter either, his mouth forming a stiff, unimpressed line. 

“This is a serious mission, even if you don't agree with that assessment, this man is an important asset and there are people out there, serious people, that want to hurt him. You will all be there to meet him and ensure that he reaches Stark tower safely.” By this point Nick Fury was really forcing himself to stay calm, he knew that they were frustrated about not being told anything more than the minimum information but he needed them to take this mission seriously. 

Nick was more than aware that Harry could take of himself if it came down to it but the whole point was that he didn't have to. Kingsley had sent him away to protect him and that was what Nick was intending to do, even if the boy didn't want to be protected. Fury didn't want Harry to have any reason or excuse to use his abilities to protect himself. 

“Fine,” Natasha said reluctantly, glaring at Fury. Clint gave a rather stiff incline of his head to show that he too agreed to go even if he did think it ridiculously stupid, crossing his muscle bound arms over his chest, still looking decidedly grumpy. 

“I have a meeting,” Tony said with a shrug, an action that looked utterly ludicrous while he was in his Ironman suit. 

“Cancel it,” Fury said impatiently, “Or send Pepper, hell, she does your job better than you do,” he added with a menacing glare to the rather pompous billionaire. 

“Fine, I'll check my schedule but you're paying for the Shawarma,” he said with a smile that vanished as his mask slid into place and he took flight, leaving through the open door. The other gathered Avengers all begun to get to their feet knowing that the meeting was now over. 

Steve was the last one to get up from the table, lost in his thoughts about the mysterious new charge they would have in a matter of hours. 12.42 at JFK. Checking his watch, Steve realised that he only had three hours until he had to be there. He decided that it would be time well spent checking out the security at the airport and ensuring that when Harry arrived, he would be safe.

\-------------------------------------x

After eight hours on a plane Harry wasn't sure how muggles put up with it. He had been sat next to a large gentleman who had not only taken up his own seat but half of Harry's too. Three rows in front of him a young mother had struggled with her toddler for the entire flight which had included screaming fits from the child and a lot of bribery to try and get the child to calm down. The mother had also been making numerous embarrassed apologies to the rest of the passengers for the child's behaviour. 

Harry didn't even want to think about the meal he had been served that had been practically inedible and looked worse. It had tasted much like what he imagined cardboard to taste like and in the end had satisfied himself with a couple of beers, though he had been careful not to over do it as he was still a little fragile from the previous evening and he was technically working. 

All in all Harry was thrilled to be disembarking from the plane. It was not an experience he wanted to repeat in a hurry. When the mission was over, if he survived it, then he was going to have to have words with Kingsley about getting him a port key home because there was no way that he was suffering through that ordeal ever again. What kind of idiot took a child on a long haul flight? 

Breezing through boarder control and security, Harry bypassed baggage collection, realising that he would probably have to go shopping at some point. He detested shopping, really detested it. Usually Harry used owl order for anything he needed, which had the added bonus of avoiding contact with people. 

Shopping for regular people required going out of the house, which was tiresome for Harry with the papers looking to photograph his every move, not to mention the fans that were always dying to get his attention. It was usually all too much for Harry who didn’t get a lot of free time and therefore refused to spend it being uncomfortable in public.

The casual crowds in the airport were enough to make Harry a little nervous and extremely on edge. He took comfort in the fact that he had his wand and could use it if necessary without getting it out. He wasn’t unprotected but he still wasn’t going to be at ease until he had located the team he was going to be working with. He hoped that things might be calmer for him now that he was in muggle America, after all no one would know him here. 

Harry’s heart sunk however when he came out, into the arrivals area and swarms of people were milling around, some taking pictures, others just generally buzzing with excitement. Harry couldn’t help but tense up until he realised that none of the fuss or the hype was for him. A wave of relief washed over him as this realisation hit and he actually smiled when he realised that all the fuss was for someone that he recognized; Tony Stark. 

He was minus his Ironman suit today, wearing simple jeans and t-shirt, sunglasses sitting atop his head as he signed autographs and smiled at some females who were fawning over him, telling him how amazing he is. 

Scanning the crowd Harry spotted a few more faces that he recognized from the pictures that he had been given. Steve Rogers, Bruce Banner, Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton. Harry was a little disappointed that Thor wasn’t present. That was one superhuman that Harry wanted to see up close and personally if he could. 

Feeling a little awkward and not knowing how to introduce himself, Harry headed towards the gathered superheroes. He was feeling rather self conscious as he realised that Clint and Natasha were looking rather unhappy and even a little bored. Steve was standing with his arms folded over his broad chest looking extremely impressive as he scanned the crowd and Bruce was looking a little nervous about being in such a busy place, something which Harry could relate to. He wasn't fond of crowds either. 

It was Steve who spotted Harry first, the two of them making eye contact through the mass of people. He turned to say something to the others before he began making his way through the bustling assemblage of returning holidaymakers, towards Harry who couldn't help but smile at the stunning example of a man that was approaching him. He was dressed simply in beige trousers and a white t-shirt but the simplicity of the outfit only made him more impressive. 

“It's nice to meet you Harry,” Steve said as the two of them reached each other, Steve offering out his hand for Harry to shake, which he did. The gesture was warm and soft, the smile on the older man's face making him appear all the more handsome. 

“You too, Steve,” Harry returned, smiling back at the Avenger. He was beginning to wish that he had taken the time to stop at a bathroom before coming out to meet his future team mates. Steve was stood before him neatly dressed, blond hair combed over to one side whereas Harry knew himself to be rather dishevelled from the long flight, his hair no doubt a mess and he didn't even want to consider what his breath smelt like. 

“Do you have any bags?” Bruce asked, coming up behind Steve and looking a little sheepish as he interrupted them without properly introducing himself, keen to make a quick exit. 

“No,” Harry said rather regretfully, “I ran into some difficulty as I left my apartment this morning, I had to leave them behind.” 

“Difficulty?” Natasha asked as she and Clint joined the three of them. Her tone was one of discontent as she looked down her nose at the young man in front of her, wanting it clear exactly what she thought of his presence here with them. In her eyes he was not worthy of a place amongst them. 

“I was attacked,” Harry said, picking up on her tone easily enough and going on the defensive himself. If she wasn't going to play nicely then neither was he. He had had enough experience of wizards trying to kill him, he didn't think that Natasha would be any match for him, even with her rather impressive list of skills. 

“Perhaps we should leave this discussion for more private locations,” Bruce suggested, clearly even more on edge with the threat of them all bickering in the middle of the airport. He couldn't stop himself as he mentally counted up the number of innocent civilians that would die if he lost control. 

“Yes,” Steve agreed, “If we can tear Stark away from his admirers.” He was frowning as he glanced in Tony's direction, not approving of the egotistical behaviour that he was demonstrating. He could remember a time when that was him and he didn't miss it. 

The tension between their small group was making Harry a little uncomfortable as he realised just how unwelcome he was among the Avengers. Whoever had requested help from Kingsley, they hadn't asked the opinion of those gathered here. 

“He can take care of himself,” Natasha said stiffly, casting a glare over her shoulder where Tony was now posing for a picture with a charming grin and also making the peace sign with three over excited fan-girls that had low cut tops, which exposed their breasts and declared their love of Ironman.

“I'm sure he will follow when he realises that we are leaving,” Clint pointed out, arms still folded across his chest, looking anywhere but in Harry's direction. He hadn't so much as acknowledged the young man since he had arrived, clearly determined to be very standoffish towards him. 

“I'm sure he won't want to miss the Shawarma,” Bruce said, torn between disapproval and amusement, however he was in agreement with Clint that Tony would follow when he was ready. He wasn't the type of guy to go with the flow, he did his own thing and didn't care about anyone else. There were a lot of things about Tony Stark that were inexplicable to him. 

Bruce often thought that trying to reason with Stark was much akin to reasoning with a stubborn toddler who didn't want to do as they were told, except Stark was worse. Difficult, frustrating and generally a waste of time and energy, though he did admire the man's mind, that was something he envied. 

“Do I dare ask what Shawarma is?” Harry asked, his voice little more than a whisper as he leaned a little closer to Steve, taking the opportunity to brush against the firm biceps and finding himself wanting to touch them a whole lot more. He wasn't ready to talk to the whole group yet, especially not when Clint and Natasha were being so cold towards him. Steve seemed nice enough though and Bruce at least seemed not to mind that he was there. 

“It's food,” Steve explained, slightly amused that Harry had never heard of it before and overly aware that the younger man was deliberately getting closer than he needed to, “A favourite of Stark's,” he added. As he had said this, Steve motioned for the group to head towards the exit. He took the lead, Harry staying close to him, still uncertain about the others. 

Harry might not have been sure that they were willing to accept him into the group without question, something he had thought might happen, however he wasn't exactly going to complain about the fact that he was here. This was what he had wanted after all, to be out on assignment again, fighting against those that needed to be fought. He was more than happy to take a back seat for the time being and simply observe for a little while, and what a sight he had to observe. He had three very tall, muscular men to ogle at and then there was Bruce of course who wasn't as tall or as muscular as the others but he was still an impressive man. 

He had been hooking up with as many witches and wizards as he could back home, being in another country just gave him new material to work with. However the added bonus of being in another country was that no one knew who he was. He didn't have to worry about the press or anyone judging him, here he was just a man and he could sleep with whoever he wanted. 

“Well it can't possibly be worse than the crap they served on the plane,” Harry said with a forced smile and laugh. He heard Clint give an amused snort just behind him but Harry didn't turn to acknowledge him. 

Steve smiled at the comment, “I wouldn’t be so sure,” he replied as they neared the exit. Harry didn't bother to turn to see the reactions of the others, not when Steve was smiling so sweetly at him. Steve stepped out of the building first before holding the door open for Harry to step through. 

Bruce came next, followed by Natasha, Clint bringing up the rear, all of them on alert, harry didn't fail to notice that they all seemed to form a kind of protective circle around him. They were all a little relieved when Tony started heading their way too, waving off his many adoring fans who were trying to follow, turning to blow them kisses before coming to join the rest of the Avengers team plus Harry on the pavement outside in the blistering heat. 

“So where is he?” Tony asked as he slid his sunglasses into place, glancing around his friends expectantly, rolling up his sleeves, exposing his toned forearms as he crossed them over his chest, biceps bulging. It was a good thing that he had covered his eyes because when Natasha pointed to Harry, Tony couldn't have stopped himself from frowning. Harry was not what he had expected. “Okay then, I thought you'd be... taller.” 

“I'll work on improving that,” Harry bit back with a roll of his eyes, giving Tony his best smile. Stark actually smiled in response, liking the sassy retort and how quick it had been delivered. He had a feeling that he was going to like Harry.

“Travelling light?” He asked in amusement, noticing that Harry didn't appear to have any bags with him. 

“You mean short people need changes of clothes,... huh, who would have thought,” Harry retorted as two large black cars pulled up to the curb, both of them looking rather official with the S.H.I.E.L.D logo on the doors. 

“I like you,” Tony said pointing his finger towards Harry who couldn't help but smile at, what he considered to be, a high compliment coming from Tony Stark. Harry hadn't been expecting to like Tony as much, his mind sure, after all Stark had created a great many impressive things, even when you didn't factor in the Iron man suit. Tony was much like what Harry thought Fred and George might be rolled into one person with a little bit of Seamus thrown in. 

Thinking of his friends back home however had the smile falling from his lips rather fast and he needed to find something to focus on before he allowed his memories to overwhelm him. To hide how he was feeling, Harry refocused on the cars that had arrived for them where a man at the butt end of middle aged was stepping out. 

Harry had to take a moment to take this man in as he didn't know who he was, he hadn't been in any of the files that he had been sent. He was a rather serious looking gentleman, wearing a black suit and carrying a metal brief case, which he put on the floor in front of Tony. 

“Mr Stark,” the man greeted as he extended his hand out for Tony to take. Harry stood beside Steve observing everything going on and he didn't miss the hoards of fans that were heading for the exit, looking to follow Tony out of the airport. Clint and Natasha had also seen the hoards heading their way and had closed in around Harry, almost like they were protecting him, something which confused Harry a little. 

“Happy,” Tony returned, acknowledging the man and accepting the gesture that Happy offered. Harry thought it a rather strange name for a man but he wasn't about to question this, far too content to just observe for the moment. 

“TONY WE LOVE YOU!” A chorus of girls shrieked as they departed the airport, clearly intent on following Stark, who turned to smile at them, giving them a small wave. 

“Shall we get moving?” Bruce asked, looking around nervously, feeling rather exposed standing out in the open as they were. He also didn't want to give the Ironman fans a chance to swarm them, which it seemed they were more than willing to do to get a piece of Tony. 

“I'm not sure your ego will fit in one car, Stark,” Steve said as he turned his back on the shrieking females, ushering Harry towards the vehicles that were waiting for them. 

“Good thing I wasn't intending to travel in the car then,” Tony retorted with his trademark smirk as he pressed a button on his watch and the briefcase that Happy had put at their feet began to expand and unfold into what Harry recognized as being the Ironman suit. 

“Not bad,” Harry commented as he took in the impressive sight of Tony now that he was Ironman. He could certainly appreciate how good Stark looked clad in red and gold metal. Though, Harry was fairly sure that Tony Stark was a man that would look good in anything he wore, or in fact with nothing on at all. 

“Stark, cover us from the sky, Barton, Romanoff in the car behind, Banner in with Potter and me,” Steve instructed, realising that having Tony use his suit to fly home was actually rather a good idea. It meant that someone was watching their back from above. 

Harry was looking at Steve as if he were slightly crazy, he thought all of this was a bit much if he were honest. He was a new team member sure but he didn't think that that required any special treatment. He also wanted to see Ironman take off and wasn't about to let himself be rushed into the car before he had seen it. 

“See you in ten,” Tony said, directing this to Harry right before his mask slid into place and he projected himself into the air. Harry couldn't help but smile, the fan girls squealing at the sight of their idol taking flight. 

“In the car, Harry,” Bruce said gently, knowing that they had to leave. 

Harry, however, just smirked, “Oh no, after you,” he said, casting a glance over towards Steve and raking his eyes up and down the large, handsome man's body. “I'd be an idiot to miss the opportunity to snuggle between two handsome men in the back seat of a car.” 

Steve and Bruce shared a look between them that was a mixture of horror and amusement before Bruce climbed into the back of the vehicle, Harry clambering in after him before Steve got in last, closing the door behind him and they were off, heading for Stark tower.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think? Leave a comment and let me know!


	3. The Oncoming Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for Thor to make an appearance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am utterly speechless about the amount of love and support for this story already! Thank you so much and enjoy!

Harry had to lean over Bruce a little to see all the way to the top of the ninety-three stories of Stark Tower, placing his hand on Bruce's thigh to brace himself as the car trundled along the busy Manhattan street that was teeming with mid-afternoon traffic. Admittedly it was rather an impressive building, towering over almost everything else around it. Though, after twenty-five minutes in the car with Happy driving them while telling them all about it, Harry knew far more than he ever wanted to about the building. 

He was now aware that the tower was powered by an arc reactor, which apparently was capable of sustaining the tower for a full year without sustaining any cost to the city, a fact that Happy bragged as if he had been the one to invent the device. Harry had read just how brilliant Tony Stark's mind was, but even Harry had to admit that that was quite an achievement. Of course, all this information was useless to Harry and he cared very little about it regardless of how enthusiastic Happy was as he shared it. The man had such pride in his voice and Harry had to admit that it was somewhat endearing. 

It was, however, a little hard for Harry to listen to what Happy was telling them, he kept getting distracted. He found himself much more interested in how Steve's thigh felt against his own in the compact back seat that the three of them were squished on to. Not to mention that his hand had remained on Bruce's thigh and wasn't going anywhere. When Harry had first seen Bruce, his first impression of him had seen him as a small man, at least small in comparison to the others. Now that he was between Steve and Bruce, Harry was rethinking this evaluation. Not that he minded being sandwiched between the two large and attractive men, it certainly wasn't the first time he had been and just remembering that was giving him a few interesting ideas. 

 

“Since the battle of New York, Mr Stark has been re-branding Stark Tower as Avenger’s Tower,” Happy said, drawing Harry from his day dream, as they drew closer to the large building where they would be staying for the duration of the assignment. “Some of the works are still ongoing but the sleeping quarters between levels sixty-three and seventy are fully ready for all of you, even Thor when he arrives.” 

“He isn’t here already?” Harry asked, deliberately ignoring Bruce as he carefully removed Harry's hand from where it was still resting on his thigh, as the car bumped along the Manhattan street causing him to jolt a little closer to Steve than was entirely necessary. All it would take was for Happy to take one sharp corner and Harry was going to end up on Steve’s lap. 

“Not yet,” Happy said confidently. He was sure that Thor would make an appearance eventually, however the God of Thunder always did do things in his own time. Plus it wasn’t like they could simply call him on the phone and ask him to come down from Asgard to join them. Though he was presumably watching over them as he tended to show up when they needed him or when he needed to warn them of otherworldly threats. 

“I thought we were on a mission... as the Avengers,” Harry asked suspiciously, looking to Steve with narrowed eyes, however Steve kept his face neutral, not giving anything away. If Harry had taken the opportunity to look over at Bruce then he might have learnt something, however Harry only had eyes for Steve in that moment, so alas he did not. 

“Thor tends to turn up in his own time,” Steve said as Happy took a sharp turn and he ended up bracing Harry so that the young man didn’t actually end up on his lap. This meant that Steve ended up holding him in a way that wasn’t strictly all professional and he quickly had to withdraw, a slight blush tinging his cheeks, “he had something to take care of first,” he added quickly, looking anywhere other than at Harry. 

Steve had had the vain hope that Thor would have been with them by the time that Harry arrived at JFK, but there was nothing to be done about that now. It wasn’t as though they couldn’t manage the simple transfer of Harry from the airport to Avengers Tower without him. It would have helped, however, with Harry’s suspicions. Their charge it seemed was rather perceptive, Steve wasn’t sure how long they would be able to keep up Fury’s ruse of Harry assisting them on a mission. 

So far they hadn’t been briefed on what they would be doing but Fury always had a plan so Steve wasn’t overly concerned. He only wished that Director Fury would share with them what they were supposed to be doing, not least so that he might have some idea of what to tell Harry. 

“Mission related?” Harry queried, fixing Steve with a calculating look, he supposed it made sense that the Avengers wouldn’t put the work they were doing on hold just to come and collect him from the airport. In fact, the more Harry thought about it, the fact that so many of them had come to be his welcoming party when he clearly wasn’t entirely welcome was very suspicious. It wasn’t like he couldn’t take care of himself, he had proved that he could several times over, at least he had in the wizarding world. 

“Yes,” Steve replied, though perhaps a little too quickly, keenly latching on to the ready made reason that Harry had provided. He was feeling a little flustered if he were being honest with himself and that wasn’t helping him to come up with suitable white lies to keep the young man next to him from getting suspicious. Steve was starting to realise that they were going to have to actually find something for them all to do that wasn’t too dangerous because otherwise Harry was going to figure out what was going on very quickly. 

“He will join us when he can,” Bruce supplied helpfully, Steve nodding in fervent agreement to this, focusing his stare out of the window, needing to not think about the close quarters they were in or how warm Harry’s body felt against his. He hadn't felt anything remotely romantic towards another person since Peggy. Back when she had been his beau and he had carried a picture of her in a pocket watch, something he still had, it hadn't been seen as right or correct for two men to be romantically involved. 

It was because of the prejudice of society that Steve had kept his feelings towards his best friend, Bucky, well and truly buried, hidden behind a cloak of friendship and brotherly companionship. He had kept how he felt quiet, knowing that he would have been ostracised and judged if he had given away even the slightest hint. However they were now living in a brave new world, one with endless possibilities. 

Harry nodded his understanding, though there were so many things churning over in his mind. He was still in the dark about why he had been brought here and the more he thought about it the weirder it seemed. The Avenger’s themselves all seemed like a very strong and capable group and it didn’t seem likely that they would need his help with anything. Harry was starting to feel as if he wasn’t exactly an equal member of the team. There were a number of little nagging doubts working their way into his mind for him not to be suspicious. This was the first assignment that Kingsley had sent him on that had been this vague.

Though, given that Harry was actually rather looking forward to having a mission to focus on and having adrenaline pumping through his veins once more, he wasn’t about to start complaining. Being here also went hand in hand with having some amazing eye-candy to ogle in the process, so he didn’t want to see everything that was wrong with what was going on around him. 

“Why are Barton and Romanoff so against having me here?”  Harry asked rather out of the blue as the car they’d been travelling in came to a stop. Just outside Harry could see security lining the path into the main entrance of the building. There were a few photographers there but mainly women in sexy versions of the Ironman suit, exposing cleavage and flashing their knickers, though the latter wasn’t intentional, just a side effect of the embarrassingly short skirts. Harry was just grateful that he didn’t have fan’s like these back home, he wasn’t sure how Tony coped with it. 

As this thought crossed Harry’s mind, the man himself dropped from the sky, landing in a crouch to a thunderous applause and ear splitting screams from the fan girls. Steve, Harry and Bruce remained sat in the car in silence, all of them ignoring Harry’s question as Happy shut off the engine and got out to open the door for them. 

“We should go inside,” Bruce said, fixing Steve with a not so subtle stare, he didn’t think that answering Harry’s question was going to be in their best interests right now; their young charge was already suspicious enough without adding more fuel to the fire. 

“Or you could answer my question,” Harry said stubbornly as Happy opened the car door to let them out, the screaming of the fans becoming almost deafening as Tony pranced around in his Ironman suit and his arrogance, posing for pictures and waving at the gathered crowd. 

“Not now,” Steve said as he unfolded himself from the vehicle, glad to be out of the confines of the back seat but being slightly dazzled by the sudden mass of flashing lights as more cameras went off, capturing his arrival at Avengers Tower. Tony wasn't the only one to have a fan base, most of the Avenger's team did, however this had become a popular place for the Ironman groupies to spend their time, trying to get Tony's attention. 

“Fine,” Harry replied in a huff as he slid across the seat and began to clamber out. Just behind them the other car had come to a stop and Harry could see Clint and Natasha coming to join them, both looking on edge at the mass number of people that had gathered, effectively surrounding them. In the next instant, as the crowd overwhelmed the security that was present, everyone acted on their gut instinct. The Avengers all gravitated towards Harry, ensuring that there was one on each side of him, ushering him into the building as the security men attempted to regain control.

“Now I know that I wasn’t imagining that, you were all protecting me!” Harry snapped at them as they came to a stop in the lobby area of Avengers Tower. “I’m supposed to be here to help you, not be protected, I can take care of myself!” 

“We’re a team,” Clint said firmly, “We look after each other.” As he said this the lift doors opened, revealing a stunning young woman in what looked to be a very expensive white suit, her red hair that matched that of any of the Weasley's, tied back in a pony tail. Her heels clicked on the marble floor as she headed towards them, not looking in the least bit surprised to find them bickering. 

“There will be a lot of interest in you, Harry,” Steve pressed on, elaborating a little more on what Clint had said, “They’re all going to want to know who you are, we were trying to protect you but not because you aren’t one of us or we think you need it.” He didn't see any way around that because it was pretty obvious that that was what they had been doing, Harry wasn't stupid and he wasn't going to believe their lies easily.

“Afternoon,” the red haired woman said with a bright smile, “I'm Pepper Potts, CEO of Stark Enterprises,” she introduced, offering her hand to Harry, who took it. 

“Harry Potter,” Harry said as he shook her hand. He could offer her no title as anything he had been given title-wise related to his life in the wizarding world. It felt strange to Harry that with all the many titles he had acquired in his lifetime that he could give none of them now as they all related to his life in the wizarding world. It was an odd feeling but strangely freeing too. 

“CEO of Stark enterprises and my girlfriend,” Tony said, sauntering over and flinging an arm around her that she shrugged off, clearly unhappy with him. Pepper didn't even spare a glance in Tony's direction as she motioned to Harry to follow her. 

“If you'll come with me I'll show you around and get your security clearance organised,” she said, giving a small smile to each of the other Avengers. 

“No one leaves the building alone,” Natasha said, glaring at Harry before glancing over around everyone else to make sure they got the point. “No one,” she said again, wanting to make this very clear before they parted ways. As she said this Tony's suit began to fold back into it's briefcase once more and Happy, who had only just made it inside after dealing with the mob outside, came forward to take the case from Tony. 

“I believe Director Fury had dinner delivered along with the request to meet him in the briefing room on level thirteen tomorrow morning at nine o'clock, you'll find the food in the main living area,” Pepper said before heading for the elevator, heels clicking importantly as she walked. Harry didn't hesitate in following her, he could tell that Pepper Potts was not a woman to be messed with. 

\--------------------------------x

“He's suspicious already,” Steve said as he lead Tony, Bruce, Clint and Natasha into the main living area. Harry was still with Pepper sorting out his security clearance so they had at least a few more minutes before they would make it to them. Upon seeing that Fury had been good to his word and there was a vast array of Shawarma laid out for them to eat, Tony pushed his way passed Clint, who grunted in annoyance but otherwise said nothing. Steve and Natasha watched on with exasperation as Tony grabbed a meat filled wrapped, taking a large bite out of it as he flopped into one of the chairs around the dinning table. None of the others were feeling particularly hungry though, they could all remember far too vividly the last time they had gathered as a group and eaten Shawarma.

“He's rather perceptive, I think that he is smarter than any of us have given him credit for,” Bruce said, settling himself down at the table and looking a little concerned as he leaned back in his chair. They didn't have long before Harry would rejoin them, Pepper wouldn't show him every level of Avenger's Tower, only those that he needed to access tonight.

“He's still a pampered prince,” Clint said firmly, not willing to chance his first assessment of the young man until he had seen proof to contradict his thoughts. So far Harry had shown no talent of note that would make him worthy as a member of the team and therefore Clint had decided that he neither liked Harry nor trusted him. Clint gave the food a slightly disdainful look before he walked off towards the stairs, wanting to sit on the balcony of the sitting room that over looked the dinning area. 

He had always preferred observing people from far and high, liking the solitude and the chance to get to know them and their weaknesses. Judging by the way that none of the others objected to him leaving, Clint assumed that he wasn't needed. He was glad because he wasn't in the mood to sit around and talk about Harry when he had already made up his mind about him. 

“I like him,” Tony said with a grin once Clint had left them too it, grabbing a second Shawarma wrap as he finished his first. He had seen Steve watching Clint go, but presumably the Captain didn't think that they needed all of them present at the moment because he had made no move to stop him from leaving. Tony didn't care either way, this way just meant more food for him. 

“You would,” Natasha said with a roll of her eyes. She was much in agreement with Clint when it came to Harry, however, regardless of how she felt about the charge, it was still a mission and she would take it seriously. After all she was a good Agent. Whatever the reasons Potter needed their protection and whatever the reason he needed to believe that he was one of them, she would play along and follow orders because that was what she had been trained to do. 

“The fact remains,” Bruce said, steering them back on track before the conversation could devolve into another adolescent bickering match, “if we are to convince Harry that he is on a mission and is one of us then we need to come up with a strategy.” 

“Natasha, you need to be nicer,” Steve said, looking at the woman in question rather pointedly, “Clint too,” he added, glancing in the general direction of the balcony above them where Hawkeye was sat watching over them all. Steve didn't miss the way the suggestion caused Natasha to stiffen, not liking the idea at all and knew that Clint wouldn't like it either. Even when the two of them had been asked to join the Avengers they had been wary. Neither of them played well with others, they only trusted each other because of their shared history. 

“He did ask why you and Clint were so against him being here,” Bruce said when it looked like Natasha was going to put up a fight about the whole being nice issue. At his comment, whatever protest Natasha had been about to lodge was swallowed back down as she snapped her mouth shut, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at the elevator door that Harry was going to arrive through any moment. 

“Have some Shawarma and relax, he'll be here for a while yet and there isn't anything we can do, so just chill,” Tony said as he took his third meat filled wrap, grinning at his team mates. Bruce finally caved in and took some food, Steve looked a little more apprehensive but eventually did the same, knowing that he did have to eat eventually, though he would have preferred to avoid Shawarma. 

\------------------x  
“Your security clearance allows you access to every level of Avenger's Tower, though there are a few levels that you probably won't use. I've compiled a list of the floors that you'll find most useful or enjoyable during your stay here,” Pepper said, handing him a piece of paper, which Harry took and began to read over. 

“He has an ice rink!” Harry said in bemusement. “And... seriously? A Go Kart circuit?” 

“Yes,” Pepper said, though sounding somewhat unhappy, “I said that he couldn't and he accepted that as a challenge,” she explained, sounding utterly exasperated. 

“This is amazing and all but I don't expect I'm going to be having a lot of free time, I mean I am supposed to be here on assignment,” Harry said, watching Pepper closely. In the confines of the lift it was easy to observe her body language and judge her reaction. 

“From what I understand the assignment is still in re-con stages, of course Tony hasn't divulged all of the information to me, however I'm sure you might find some down time to enjoy some of the Tower's more ridiculous levels,” Pepper informed him with a smile. Harry had to admit that his questioning hadn't ruffled her at all, he was fairly impressed with how easily she kept her cool. Though, come to think of it, she had a lot of practice when dealing with Tony. 

“I'm going to need clothes,” Harry said after a few moments of silence, “I had a few issues when I left London and I had to leave my bags behind, Natasha expressly forbid leaving the Tower alone, so how would I go about acquiring clothing?” 

“Director Fury will brief you in the morning, you should broach the subject with him. Your suite is level sixty-five and the main communal area, which we're heading to now, is located on level seventy-five. Anything else and I'm sure your team members will be happy to assist you.” As Pepper said this the elevator came to a steady stop, sounding a small bell before the doors slid open. “Have a good evening Harry,” she said with a smile as he stepped out into the large open plan kitchen-dinning room. 

Pepper didn't join him, remaining in the lift and pressing the button for level fourteen. Harry headed directly over to the large dinning table where Tony, Natasha, Bruce and Steve were all sat, some eating with gusto, others with slightly less enthusiasm. “May I join you?” Harry asked, feeling a little silly for asking. 

“Of course,” Steve said, motioning to the chair between him and Tony before anyone else could say anything. Despite asking Natasha to be nice, Steve was concerned what her response might have been if he had waited to answer Harry's question. 

“So this is Shawarma, huh,” Harry said as he took one of the wraps and studied it closely. He had never been a big eater, not since living at the Dursley's where they had denied him food on a regular basis. Now, as a grown adult, he stuck to what he knew, rarely trying new things and only really eating when he needed to. He did rather enjoy baking when he had the time, his Aunt had drilled into him various recipes and despite the pressures and tirades of abuse while he learnt, Harry found he still rather enjoyed cooking, so whenever he did eat it was always home made. 

Dinner passed with plenty of strained conversation and awkward silence. Natasha didn't say anything to anyone, clearly taking the stance that if she couldn't say anything nice, not to say anything at all. It was Steve and Bruce who did most of the chatting, Tony did most of the eating and Harry simply joined in when he could. He had eaten one meat wrap and then not touched anything else. 

“What war did you fight in?” Natasha suddenly blurted out in one of the awkward lapses in conversation. Tony was finally done eating, sitting back in his chair stretching and rubbing his stomach happily. Though when she had asked this, even he had sat up to look at his fellow Avenger in disbelief before turning to Harry, wondering what his answer was going to be. 

Silence had fallen now as they all looked to Harry expectantly. Harry however could look no where other than at his hands. He knew that he couldn't tell them everything, he couldn't even tell them half of it, he'd be breaking the statute of secrecy if he did. Besides that, he still found it rather difficult to talk about. Despite talking to a professional and then passing his mental evaluations to become an Auror, Harry still didn't feel comfortable discussing it with anyone, not even his friends back home knew the full extent of it. 

“None that you know,” Harry said softly, not wanting to think about it. Every time he remembered what had happened he remembered those that had died, not for him but because of him. Despite his many years working as an Auror since that battle he had never killed another man and Harry hoped to keep it that way. “Just like Thor is from another world, so am I,” he said, thinking that this was the best way to explain it without breaking the statute of secrecy. 

“Are you an alien?” Tony asked, slightly wary of the young man for a moment, looking at him rather suspiciously. Since the battle of New York he had been struggling with what he had seen through the gateway that had opened up right above what was now Avenger's tower. Sleep had evaded him and in all truth he wasn't sure that he would be able to cope with another alien, even if it did come in the form of a small, cute British man. 

“No,” Harry said at once, looking up and meeting each of their eyes, wanting them to believe that he wasn't lying to them. “I swear, I'm not alien... it's just... complicated. The war I fought in was in my world, a lot of people that I cared about died,” he explained, a familiar twang of pain in his heart as he thought about Remus, Sirius, Tonks... so many had died and yet those that they had left behind suffered as well. It was part of the reason he struggled to see Teddy, the guilt of knowing that his parents were gone because of him was enough to keep Harry away. 

“You killed the man responsible for the war,” Bruce said, remembering what it had said in Harry's file. He could see that the young man was struggling with his past but honestly didn't know how to help him. He didn't simply want to feel pity for him, he knew how infuriating and saddening it was to see all of those around you show nothing but pity. 

“Yes but not before he killed my parents, my Godfather, my friends... I couldn't save them,” Harry said, his body tensing up, refusing to show weakness in front of these people who he barely knew. “Merlin, I really need a drink,” Harry said before anyone else could question him further. 

Ignoring the peculiar curse word, Tony got up and fetched a tumbler of whiskey, sliding it down the table to where Harry sat. The young man accepted it and downed it in one go, lavishing the wonderful burning sensation as it trickled down his throat, the familiar warmth growing in the pit of his belly. It would never be as good, or indeed as potent as fire whiskey but it would do. 

“We all understand the cost of war,” Steve said, his tone full of regret. He too had lost soldiers in battle and it wasn't something that you ever forgot. The moment his best friend had slipped from his arms and fallen from that train car, was one that would remain with him for the rest of his life. If you could so easily forget then it was not a good sign. Steve made a habit of remembering everyday.

Getting up, unable to stand the way everyone was looking at him, Harry made his way to the kitchen where he poured himself a second drink, swallowing it down and then pouring out a third. No one said anything about how much he was drinking, instead simply watching as Harry moved over to the sliding glass doors that lead out onto a balcony area which had a large landing platform, clearly for Ironman to take off and land on. 

The views were absolutely magnificent from the balcony, the fresh air above the smog and fumes from the streets below was exhilarating. Harry could feel the comforting weight of his wand in its concealed compartment in his jumper and it helped to calm him. He focused on the skyline around him, wanting to focus on anything other than thoughts of the Great Battle of Hogwarts. Harry had mastered the art of burying these emotions deep but this conversation had brought it all to the surface and he needed a moment to compose himself. 

“I'm sorry,” Steve said, coming up behind Harry, closing the sliding door as he came out to join him. He had wanted to make sure that Harry was okay, he had been feeling a little guilty that they had pushed to get information that Harry simply wasn't ready to share. 

“Why?” Harry questioned, not turning to look at the First Avenger. He could feel the man's presence behind him, the warmth of him at his back as Steve too surveyed the sight of the city. 

“Natasha should not have asked about your past,” Steve said and Harry had to give him credit for the fact that he did sound truly remorseful that the subject had been raised. 

“It's fine,” Harry said, though even he wasn't convinced that what he was saying was the truth. It bothered him more than he would have liked to think about those that he had lost. Everyone else in his life had moved on and that was something else that bothered Harry, he honestly didn't think that it should have been that easy to just forget and move on and yet they had. He was envious of their relationships, their children, their normality. He craved it, he really did, he just didn't think that he deserved it. 

“Are you okay?” Steve asked, recognizing that Harry was most definitely not okay, however he wouldn't be able to force the young man to talk. They had known each other for half a day, Steve didn't expect for Harry to trust him at all just yet. There was no reason for Harry to share his fears and insecurities but Steve, at the very least, wanted for Harry to know that he could if he wanted to. 

“You've been through it,” Harry said sadly as he knocked back his third tumbler of whiskey, “what do you think?” Steve didn't know what to say, he stumbled over several words before Harry turned to look at him and gave him a small smile. “It's fine,” he said with a wave of his hand, “You don't have to say anything, these are my issues, I didn't mean to bring them with me.” 

“It's alright to have those issues, it means that you're human,” Steve said softly, “I have lost people too, people that I cared for deeply.”

“I read your file,” Harry returned, still staring out over the city, “I couldn't imagine going to sleep and then waking up to a changed world, the people that I loved grown old.” Though, even as he said this, Harry knew that it wasn't entirely true, he had experienced something similar. When he had turned eleven he had been plunged into a world that he knew nothing about and expected to adapt quickly while so many people that he was supposed to trust lied to him. He could really relate to what Steve had been through. 

“The issues that you're... we're dealing with now, they do get better. They don't go away but we learn to live with them,” Steve said. It had only been a few years since he had been thrust into the modern world and he felt as if he was adjusting well. He still had a little notebook that he carried around when people made reference to popular culture that he didn't understand, but apart from that he was doing so much better. 

“It's been nine years for me,” Harry said sadly, leaning down so that his forearms rested on the railings, playing with the tumbler in his hands, studying it as if it were the most fascinating thing in the world, “Those that I called my friends, that suffered through it with me, they're grown up, moved on, married the ones they loved and had children.” 

“And you?” Steve asked, more curious than anything else. Partly he wanted to know because Harry Potter was such a mystery to him, though there was something about the young man that truly captured Steve's attention. He genuinely wanted to know and not just because of the mission either. He ensured that he kept his tone gentle, remaining close to Harry but never touching him, worried what might happen if he did. Steve wasn't sure that he would be able to control how he was feeling if he closed that small distance between them. 

“Can't,” Harry said, closing his eyes for a moment and sighing. It wasn't so easy as just telling him everything, some of it he couldn't even form into words. There wasn't any way to explain how lost and lonely he felt, how utterly overwhelmed he was by the choices he had made in his life that he couldn't take back, couldn't change. The thing that astounded harry the most however was that if he could then he would have, he wanted to share that with Steve, he just wasn't sure how. 

The two of them were alike in so many ways, not that Steve could see that yet, given that he didn't know the truth of Harry's life. Harry, however, could see it clearly; they had both survived awful wars and suffered terrible losses. They had both been put on the front lines in a war they didn't fully understand, playing roles that they never should have known. The two of them had both essentially died and been reborn during those conflicts, having given their lives to ensure that those they cared about were safe and the world they knew was protected. 

It was a fleeting thought of Harry's that Steve might be able to understand and accept him, even as damaged as he was, but there were nagging doubts in his mind; he was certain that things would be very different once Steve knew more about who he was and the extent of what he had had to do. And that wasn't even starting on his fame, and the problems that came with having a celebrity status. Though that was just one more thing that he and Steve had in common, the older man didn't seem to like his media popularity any more than Harry did. 

“I can relate,” Steve said with a small smile. “I'm out of time here, a whole new world for me but I suppose it is for you too.” 

“You have no idea,” Harry said, turning to look at Steve and smiling right back before turning his attention back to the scenery, standing up right with another sigh. “You know I've never seen the clouds move like that, or so quickly,” Harry said as he watched the sky above them almost transform and form shape. He had intended for it to be a change of subject but the more he studied them, the more transfixed by them he became. 

“Just wait until you see the thunder,” Steve said with a wry smile as he recognized the tell tale signs. He knew that Thor was coming and it was rather sweet that Harry had no clue about what he was about to see or whom he was going to meet. 

“How do you know there's going to be thunder? It's not even raining,” Harry asked curiously, not taking his eyes of the magnificent cloud formations swirling and moving around in a way that Harry had not thought would be possible without a spell. The closest thing to this that he had seen was when the Dark Mark had been conjured in the sky but this was by far more natural than that had ever been. 

“Trust me,” Steve said with a small laugh as true to his word the first strike of lightening came down not more than a few meters away from them. Harry's eye's widening as it happened, unable to believe what he was seeing. The lightning seemed to move with a purpose, almost as if it had aim and direction. 

“I want to,” Harry said, tearing his eyes away from the sky above him so that he could turn to Steve and actually look at him as he said this. Harry could see just how alike the two of them were and he truly wanted to be able to trust him and the rest of the Avenger's, however he knew that it would take time. He wanted Steve to know how similar they were, but he knew that he couldn't, at least not yet. 

“You'll want to watch this,” Steve said, turning Harry's attention back to the sky where the lightening was become more extravagant and out of this world, it was also getting closer to them. Harry took a step back and found himself backed against a rather firm, warm body as a strike of lightening hit the landing platform right before a huge blond Adonis of a man landed there a second later. His body crouched, posed to leap it seemed, a large hammer in his hand. This man's piercing blue eyes fixing on Steve and Harry as he rose to his, rather impressive, full height. 

“Wow,” Harry said as he raked his eyes up and down the six foot something man with dark blond hair to his shoulders, grey chest armour and a deep red cape that flowed from his shoulders down to his calves. He was broad shouldered and every inch of him was muscle that Harry found himself wanting desperately to run his tongue over, licking each curve. He had nothing against Bruce but after seeing Thor Odinson in the flesh Harry knew that his fantasies tonight were going to feature being in a male love sandwich with Thor and Steve. He would be damned if the mere thought of this wasn't making him a little hard as Thor strode towards them with clear purpose in his confident stride; flexing his bare arms rather unintentionally. 

“Evening,” Steve said, addressing the familiar man who had fought by his side not so long ago. Though in truth he didn't appreciate the way that Harry was staring at him. “It's good of you to join us.” 

“Where is Fury, I must speak with him,” Thor said, his deep voice sending waves of pleasure through Harry's body. Harry's eyes came to nipple height on this marvellous specimen of a man, Thor was at least several inches taller than even Steve, who was one of the tallest men Harry had ever met. 

“We have a briefing with him in the morning,” Steve said rather matter of factly. It was late and they had all had a long day, especially Harry who had only flown in a few hours ago. There would be no chance of calling a meeting and excluding Harry from it and they all needed to rest. 

“Are you the one my brother wants?” Thor asked, turning his attention to Harry now. Harry couldn't help but squirm under the penetrating stare, wondering what it would be like to be pinned beneath the impressive man as the large man truly did penetrate him. 

“Brother? As in Loki?” Steve questioned, more than a little concerned, “Isn't he under your custody in Asgard?” The thought that maybe Loki was roaming free once more and also that he could possibly be the threat against Harry made Steve feel a little sick. They didn't want what happened the last time to happen again. 

“I'm not sure who your brother is but if he looks like you then he can have me,” Harry said as he looked Thor up and down, admiring every muscled inch of him. Steve's body tensed as Harry said this, not entirely sure why he felt a little jealous that Harry was speaking about another man in this way. He had no reason to be jealous, Steve had no idea where the emotion had even come from but it was undeniably there. 

“I am not sure what appearance has to do with this but I must find Fury,” Thor said as he swept past both Harry and Steve, heading inside to find the man he was after, leaving Harry and Steve a little bemused. Steve however was more concerned about what was happening with Loki. Anything to do with him was always going to be bad news. 

“Wow he's tall,” Harry said in utter amazement as they watched Thor go, “And the size of his hammer...” Steve couldn't help but laugh as he ushered Harry back inside, the pit of jealousy in his stomach bubbling away. If he could have then he would have put his arm around Harry's shoulders but alas, he could not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think? Please leave a lovely comment and let me know.


	4. One last question

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve show's Harry to his room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, chapter four!!! Please enjoy.

“Even if you do manage to find Fury this evening he isn’t going to do anything about Loki tonight,” Bruce said trying to reason with the irate Thunder God. Thor had barely said anything about why he had arrived there so suddenly, instead casting suspicious eyes towards Harry, who had remained close to Steve, staying silent and admiring the view. 

“Loki is here, on this planet, we cannot allow him to roam free!” Thor raged, his deep voice thundering around the room, cape swooshing out behind him as he paced across the room. They had all seen first hand the damage that Loki could bring, and Thor feared what his brother’s return might mean for his midgardian allies.

“Well if you hadn’t allowed him to escape,” Tony said as he went to pour himself a drink. He needed it after hearing that Loki was back, he might have been full of bravado but a lot of that was false, especially after what he had seen through that portal. 

“How did he escape?” Natasha asked quickly before anyone could react to Stark, looking up at Clint who gave her a curt nod in return. He was having a hard time controlling his temper and had chosen to remain in his perch above, but he was still listening closely. Loki had messed with his head in a serious way the last time they had crossed paths and he hadn’t had the chance for revenge as of yet. He was rather keen to dish it out. 

“He had aid,” Thor growled viciously. It was not something that even Loki would have been able to manage without assistance, of that he was certain.

“There is nothing we can do tonight,” Steve reiterated, thinking that Bruce was right; there was no doubt that they would have to do something but it didn’t have to be tonight. “We might as well rest, you included,” Steve added, addressing Thor as he spoke, “we can deal with it in the briefing tomorrow.” 

Harry couldn’t help but wonder on what Thor had said, the question about whether this Loki was looking for him; he had no idea why that would be the case, but it was definitely… curious. He also found himself wondering if this business was related to why he had been brought in, or whether it was something else entirely. For the moment though, he listened, and watched, transfixed on the large muscled man, as Thor furrowed his brow, giving Steve’s suggestion some serious consideration. 

“He will be stopped!” Thor said with finality, looking Bruce directly in the eye, his tone one of deathly seriousness. 

“Of course,” Bruce said, still trying to reason with the God. He needed to keep the situation as calm and controlled as possible. He had a handle on his little green problem, at least he did mostly, however there was no telling what might set it off and he didn’t want to risk it. 

“Avengers assemble,” Tony said with a wink at Harry, who couldn’t help but smile. 

“Stark, who is your unknown guest?” Thor asked, eyeing Harry with suspicion and interest. “You are of Midgard, yes?” he questioned, putting his Hammer down on top of the dining table and heading towards Steve and Harry. 

“Erm, Midgard?” Harry questioned, looking up at Steve, not at all sure how to answer that. He might have been happy to admire the handsome man but Thor was still rather intimidating, even if he hadn’t have been a God he was still huge, especially compared to Harry. 

“This is Harry,” Tony introduced, not moving from his seat. “And yes, he says he’s from Earth, more or less anyway; so you’re still our resident alien,  Shakespeare, no need to get jealous.”

“Harry’s here to help us with a mission,” Steve explained. He was feeling rather protective of Harry, though he wasn’t sure why this was. Thor was not in the best of moods and Steve knew exactly how painful it was to be on the wrong end of that hammer. 

“So you are not being hidden here from Loki?” Thor questioned. His initial assumption had been that this was someone who was being hidden in the tower for their own safety, and that combined with his knowledge that Loki was looking for someone had seemingly led him to a possibly mistaken conclusion.

The information that he had was sketchy at best. He knew that Loki needed someone, a man, because they had access to something that Loki wanted, desperately. It seemed like too much of a coincidence that this young man would be here now and not have anything to do with why his brother had escaped from prison in Asgard only to return to earth. 

“Not to the best of my knowledge,” Harry said with a shrug. “Hiding isn’t really my style anyway.” Though he said this, Harry couldn’t help but be suspicious. There was just too much going on that wasn’t making any sense. He was beginning to think that Kingsley hadn’t been entirely truthful with him in regards to this mission. 

Steve was frowning slightly at what Harry had said. He had sort of already known that about Harry given the methods that they were having to take to keep him protected. Fury seemed to think that if Harry had any idea that he was there for his own protection that the young man would go off on one; this was the second indication that that was the case, the first having been Harry’s reaction to them protecting him at the base of Stark Tower.

“You have yet to prove yourself to us,” Natasha said bluntly. She could respect Harry for not wanting to hide from whatever was out there, but her mission was to keep him alive and so she wasn’t going to just trust that he was capable of managing that for himself, not when he had been sent here for protection.

“You are the ones who supposedly need my help,” Harry said a little smugly, knowing that he would prove himself as soon as he had the chance, “perhaps you need to prove yourselves to me.”

“Enough,” Steve said with a sigh. He was more than a little concerned given everything that was going on; they might not be able to tell Harry that he was really there for protection, but they all knew it, and combined with what Thor had told them about Loki made him wonder if Thor hadn’t been right in the first place. What if Loki really was looking for Harry? “We do need you, Harry; however, Fury hasn’t disclosed your capabilities to us so we don’t know what you can do,” except flirt outrageously, he added in his mind. 

“I can’t tell you what I am, my world forbids it,” Harry said, “But I can fight, I’ve been trained by the best people in my world to fight and I can and will prove myself if I have to.” 

Taking that as an invitation and thinking that testing Harry was just what he was in the mood to do, Clint grabbed the small pocket knife from the waistband of his trousers, flicked it open and threw it at Harry, taking careful aim so that he was quite certain that their charge wouldn’t actually be hurt, it would simply sail past his shoulder, not even grazing him but he wanted to see what Harry could do. No one saw him even go for his weapon as he was so high above them, Harry’s instincts, however, were on top form. 

Realising what was happening, Harry turned on his heel in one swift motion and with whispered latin words, his hands in front of him, palms forward, as if to protect himself, the knife stopped millimeters from him, floating, frozen in midair. 

“Okay, that’s a neat trick,” Tony said with wide, impressed eyes. That was certainly something he had never seen before and considering the amount he had seen not so long ago, this was saying something. 

“What the hell do you think you’re doing!” Steve raged, looking up at where Clint was perched, looking entirely unphased by what he had just done. He hadn’t intended Harry any harm but with all the boasting that he could take care of himself, Clint had been curious about Harry’s ability. 

“It’s fine, Steve, they wanted proof, they got proof,” Harry said, muttering another spell and levitating the little knife back to Clint, hovering it just in front of the man as though holding it out to him handle first. He didn’t want to use more magic than he really needed to, but it was clear that he needed to show them that he was capable.

“Your skill is impressive,” Thor said in a booming voice, coming over and patting Harry on the shoulder heavily, making him wince a little at the strength of the bigger man.

“Thanks,” Harry said, glad that he had made an impression; Natasha too seemed reluctantly impressed, though he strongly suspected that he wasn’t going to get any kind of confirmation of that beyond her hopefully dropping the attitude a little. 

“What on earth were you thinking?” Steve asked again more quietly, as Clint made his way back down to them. “You would have seriously injured him if he hadn’t reacted so quickly.” He understood that Clint had been testing Harry, but that wasn’t their mission, they weren’t supposed to be figuring Harry out, they were meant to be protecting him.

Clint shrugged unapologetically. “It would have missed,” he told them with certainty. “And if he had been injured so easily then it would have been no loss to the team to have him on bed rest while he recovered.”

“I resent that,” Harry scowled, “I can help you.”

“Not tonight,” Steve said with finality, “We all need rest, Harry, I’ll show you to your rooms.” He really didn’t want them all to fight, what Clint had done had been reckless and stupid and he would be having words with him, however, the priority was and always would be, Harry; at least until their mission was complete. 

“Sure,” Harry said with a shrug. He hadn’t had the chance to shower since arriving and he felt a little grimey from the plane. Showering with Steve around seemed like even more fun, if he could convince the handsome man to join him that was. “Tony, would you mind if I grabbed a bottle?” Harry asked, motioning to the whiskey on the side of the kitchen counter. 

“There should be some in your quarters,” Tony said with a smile, “I’m sure Steve will be able to help you and you can always swipe the bottle from his room, not like he can get drunk anyway.”  
“He can’t get drunk?” Harry asked, looking to Tony as Steve began heading for the elevator, hoping that Harry would simply follow him. 

“Nope,” Tony said with a laugh, “Though I’ll let him explain,” he added with a wink, tilting his head to where Steve was waiting for Harry, the lift door having just slid open. 

“Night,” Harry said with a small wave and then with a parting shot, wanting to make the others know that he was no push over, Harry muttered a small, innocent spell and then couldn’t help but laugh as he saw Clint’s hair turn a stunning electric blue. “Oh and Clint, don’t try that again or I’ll do a whole lot worse to you.” 

Clint looked entirely confused as he watched Harry get into the lift, Steve following  him in, looking utterly astounded and also trying not to laugh at what Harry had done. Apparently Harry really wasn’t the kind of person you messed with, let alone threw knives at. 

“What?” Clint asked, looking to Thor who was grinning broadly and then to Natasha who seemed to be utterly speechless. 

“I think it suits you,” Tony said, not even trying to contain his amusement as the lift door slid shut, “I think the kid will fit in just fine here.” 

“It’s… I have never seen anything like it,” Bruce said as he approached Clint and began to circle him, studying his hair. “He must be able to manipulate things on a molecular level, fascinating.”

“What, what is it?” Clint asked, getting a little paranoid as he brought his hand up to his head to check that his hair was actually still there. 

“It is a good look,” Thor said in his booming voice, unable to stop smiling as Clint turned to look into one of the many reflective surfaces of Stark tower, catching sight of his hair and letting out an almighty roar. 

“I’m going to kill him,” Clint snarled. 

“The whole point is that we keep him alive,” Bruce said with a frown. “You did throw a knife at him after all.”

“He’s proved that he isn’t worthless at least,” Natasha stated with a shrug, seeing the funny side of the situation. 

“If you ask him nicely he might even turn it back for you,” Tony said, “Or you could continue being an ass, and we’ll get Pepper to help you dye it back.”

“With the lecture Pepper is likely to give you for not being nice to our guest, you might be safer to just stick with the blue,” Bruce suggested, tugging out one of Clint’s hairs and holding it up to the light, as though he might be able to see a substantial difference in it. Clint winced at the unexpected pain, scowling as he moved around the other side of the table to get away from Bruce before the scientist decided he needed more samples.

“I am sure you will really enjoy trying to be Harry’s new best friend,” Natasha said to Clint, looking far too amused for his liking. “He seems stubborn, I am curious to see how long he holds out.” 

“He’s going to be trouble!” Clint said with a mixture of exasperation and annoyance. He didn’t think that he would be getting his normal hair colour back for a very long time. 

“I’m not so sure,” Tony said with a wicked sparkle in his eyes, “Hundred dollars says Steve can tame him.” 

“Not a chance,” Clint said with a snort, shaking his head, “Sure, I’ll take that bet, there is no way those two are hooking up with each other!” 

\-------------------------------------------x

“How did you do that with Clint’s hair?” Steve asked curiously as the lift descended to the guest quarter where Harry would be staying. He had just finished telling Harry about how the serum affected him and the reasons behind why he couldn’t get drunk any more and now he was more interested in Harry’s rather unique abilities.

“Why, thinking of changing from the blond because personally I love it, I could never resist a blond with muscles,” Harry returned with a wink, wanting to change the subject. He knew that he was playing in dangerous territory doing magic in front of two scientists but he hadn’t expressly been forbidden from using it in front of them, he just couldn’t tell them what he was. 

“Will you change Clint’s hair back… can you?” Steve asked, curious about the extent of Harry’s abilities and the extent of what he was capable of. 

“I can, whenever I want… whether I will or not, that’s another issue altogether. Personally, though,” Harry went on, talking mostly to himself by this point, “I think it’s a vast improvement. It does take away some of the brooding intensity though.”

“You seem very… interested in… well…” Steve said a little awkwardly, not really sure how to word his curiosity about the young man’s rather forward behaviour. He had honestly never met anyone else quite like Harry before, so blatant and honest about his admirations.

“Hmm?” Harry hummed, turning to look at the taller man. “Oh, in you and the other guys?” he asked, catching on, and Steve nodded his head. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable or anything,” he said, feeling a little bad. He was aware that his behaviour might not have been the most professional, but flirting just seemed to make everything feel easier to cope with and there was a lot to take in. 

The only bonus to being who he was, was that his confidence had skyrocketed to something he had never thought possible as an eleven year old, unsure of the world he was stepping into. He was used to getting what he wanted in most elements of his life now and all because of his status in the wizarding world. Being the man who defeated Voldemort had meant that a lot of witches and wizards had fallen at his feet, wanting to be fucked by him. It made one night stands remarkably easy but lasting relationships difficult, if not impossible. 

“Oh, no, it’s fine,” Steve hurried to try and assure him. He knew that many of his own gut reactions were a relic from a time he no longer lived in, and he didn’t want to Harry to stop for his sake; particularly not when he found himself rather enjoying the smaller man’s flattery, even if it gave him twinges of jealousy when directed elsewhere. 

He was struggling with his feelings towards Harry. Steve could see that he was an attractive man but when it had been Bucky he had felt something towards, Steve had easily brushed it off, thinking that it was because they were close friends. He didn’t have this excuse when it came to Harry. If his parents could have known of his feelings then and now they would certainly be horrified, it was so unlike anything they had known. Even Steve wasn’t sure that he was entirely comfortable with what he was feeling yet. 

“Just not used to it,” Harry said with understanding, as the lift came to a stop, the doors opening with a ping. “I guess things have changed a lot from what you were used to,” he added, following the rather uncomfortable looking Steve from the lift, “and well I just like to give credit where it’s due, and you Avengers are a handsome bunch.”

Arriving in a new country that he had never been in before, after his first ever plane ride, meeting people that were practically strangers to him… he had reacted in the only way he knew how. Confidence and bravado, putting up a front and building his defences to make sure that they couldn’t hurt him. He had been hurt before and he didn’t want that to happen again. Harry was beginning to realise that this might have been the wrong approach to have with these people. 

“Oh, um, thank you?” Steve said, though it came more out of question. To give himself something to do, other than watching Harry, Steve focused on the quarters they had just entered, because it was certainly a lot easier than looking at their charge but only because it felt a lot like admiring. Plenty of women would have slapped him for looking at them the way way he was currently looking at Harry. 

“You’re welcome,” Harry said absently, but he too was looking around the suite, with an expression of awe. “This is all for me?” he asked with disbelief. “It’s huge; I’m going to be rattling around in here. Are you sure you wouldn’t like to move in here with me?” Harry asked, turning to Steve with a wink, enjoying the way that the taller man blushed.

“I have my own floor,” Steve told him quickly. “We each do. Tony doesn’t do things by halves.”  The thought of being that close to Harry all of the time was making him feel very flustered. Bucky had been his childhood crush but obviously nothing had ever come of that. Women had never really been interested in him until Peggy and all they had had the chance to do was kiss. His life had never really left much room for romance and he was feeling entirely in over his head with Harry. 

“I could always move in with you,” Harry said, turning now to look at Steve, utterly fascinated with him. Steve just gaped at Harry, not knowing what to say, it wasn’t that he was against the idea but coming to terms with what Harry was suggesting was something of a challenge. “It’s fine,” Harry said quickly, seeing that he had clearly stepped over the mark, “It’s only… it doesn’t matter.” 

“What?” Steve questioned, seeing some of Harry’s concealed insecurity for the first time. In that moment he saw a flicker in the perfect facade of the mask that the young man had put in place and Steve knew that Harry was human, just like the rest of them. “You can talk to me, Harry, I won’t judge you.” 

“I don’t like to be alone,” Harry said softly with a resound sigh, he hated admitting weakness but he truly couldn’t bare to think of sitting in this huge place all on his own for hours on end, alone with his thoughts. It was a truly horrifying thing to think about; he had made sure that he was never alone for long enough to dwell on his past, certainly not while sober at least.

“Oh,” Steve said uncertainly. He had meant it when he had told Harry that he could talk to him, but now that the smaller man had done so, he honestly wasn’t quite sure what to say. “Well you can spend most of your time up in the communal areas with the rest of us, I think we would all like that,” he suggested. He felt bad not being able to offer more of a solution but he didn’t think he would be able to resist temptation if he did stay or else invited Harry to join him. 

“Yeah, I know, I didn’t mean to put you on the spot,” Harry said. “Perhaps you could stick around while I go get washed up, won’t take me long.”

“Sure, I can do that,” Steve said with a nod, thinking that this was the least he could do for the young man. He was already predicting a lot of late nights sitting with Harry just so he didn’t have to be alone. Steve truly understood that, there were some moments when he really didn’t want to be alone with his thoughts either. 

“Can you find the whiskey while I’m gone, or anything remotely alcoholic, I won’t be able to sleep otherwise,” Harry said as he turned to see if he could locate the shower, missing Steve’s frown as he did so. 

Half an hour later, Steve had settled himself on the sofa, waiting patiently, the bottle of whiskey that Harry had requested on the table with a drink readily poured out; he was concerned about the other man’s drinking habits so figured giving him a glass rather than the bottle would be safer. 

Harry walked into the room, looking a little sheepish, wearing only a towel. Steve froze, not knowing what to do or what to say, his eyes watching as water dripped from his wet hair, down on to his chest. He swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat as the little trickle of water reached an erect nipple before carrying on its downward track across defined muscle, towards the soft cotton towel that hung loosely on Harry’s hips. 

“I don’t have any clothes,” Harry said, looking directly into Steve’s blue eyes. “I lost my bags…” he tried to explain, feeling rather silly as he had already mentioned that he had had some trouble when he had left London. 

“Oh, um, isn’t there anything in the bedroom at all?” Steve asked, feeling his cheeks go bright red, practically radiating heat from them. 

“Honestly?” Harry asked and Steve nodded, “I wasn’t sure where that was. Perhaps that drink before I try to figure it out,” he suggested. He could feel the effect of the few drinks he had had earlier wearing off, and he wasn’t ready for that to happen just yet.

“Oh, um, sure, here,” Steve said, picking up the tumbler of whiskey and handing it over to Harry. However, as he went to accept it, the one hand that had been holding on to his towel didn’t quite manage to keep hold of both sides and, before he could stop it, the towel had fallen and Harry was standing quite naked in front of Captain America, who suddenly didn’t know where to look.  

The situation was not helped by the fact that Harry was semi-erect, something Steve hadn’t taken the moment to notice before now. He determinedly kept his eyes focused on Harry’s, admiring the startling shade of emerald and resisting the urge to be the gentleman and pick up the towel. 

“We should, ummm, find you some, ah, clothes,” Steve said, his words becoming jumbled up in his mouth as he tried to speak. He hated how confused and bewildered he sounded, he didn’t want to sound stupid in front of Harry. 

“We could do,” Harry said. “Or we could not.” 

“You want to not have clothes on?” Steve asked, feeling his heart racing in his chest; an attractive man stood before him completely nude, his own body reacting accordingly. The only man that he had ever had this reaction to was Bucky and those had only ever been fantasies dreamed up in his mind, it had never happened with the person he desired right in front of him. 

“I want to not have clothes on with you,” Harry said softly, keeping his voice low and enticing. He wanted Steve, right then he would have taken any one of the Avengers to bed but out of all of them, Harry wanted Steve. There was some kind of kinship between them, so many shared experiences that meant it felt so right.

“Harry…” Steve said, his entire body and mind at war with themselves, not knowing what to do. He knew what he wanted, he felt the desire pulsing through him, the serum having affected everything in his body, including his hormones. It was his basic instincts from a time gone by that made him so conflicted. 

“You don’t want to,” Harry said, feeling a little hurt and entirely rejected. He had never been turned down before, his sexual advances always welcome. To be refused like this only made Harry crave Steve more, wanting him on a carnal level. 

“I…” Steve began, not even knowing where to begin but knowing that he needed to explain. He wasn’t exactly rejected Harry, the fact that he was growing hard simply being this close to a naked man was proof that he wanted this. There was a small part of his mind that was blocking him though, it wasn’t something that he could simply jump into without second thought. 

“It’s fine,” Harry said quickly, grabbing his towel from the ground, wrapping it around himself and going to turn away, wanting to make a quick escape as he felt utterly humiliated. Steve however wasn’t having any of it, grabbing Harry’s upper arm, stopping him from leaving. 

“Don’t go,” Steve managed to say, “we’ll find you clothes and we can talk.” 

“I don’t talk, Steve, that’s when things get complicated,” Harry said with a sigh, not immediately tugging his arm away. Not once had he ever taken the time to get to know or share any form of conversation with his bedfellows. He saw no need and didn’t want to be bored with their psycho babble about how much they liked and admired him. It was stuff that he had heard before and wasn’t interested in hearing again. 

“Well I’ve never slept with anyone, so tonight could be a first for both of us,” Steve said, speaking softly and finally letting go of Harry’s arm, however he made sure that he remained close to Harry just in case he tried to get away again. 

“What… never?” Harry asked in utter astonishment. He knew that Steve was technically in his nineties but looked no older than thirty. It was difficult for Harry to comprehend the fact that Steve had never been with another person in that way, it was utterly mind boggling. 

“Never really had the time, or even the inclination,” Steve said with a small shrug, wondering to himself whether or not he could or rather should, close the gap between the two of them and kiss the young man. He wanted to, he really did… he just wasn’t sure that he should because he couldn’t trust himself not to get too carried away if he did. 

“Then maybe we really shouldn’t do this,” Harry said, not having realised how inexperienced Steve was. It was one thing to sleep with a man, it was another to take his virginity. Harry had done so once before and had problems with the young man, who hadn’t wanted to leave him alone. The Ministry had had to get involved on that occasion because the man’s behaviour had become somewhat violent. 

“And if I wanted to?” Steve said, looking decidedly nervous. Half of him just wanted to leave, to walk away because having these kind of relations with a man, let alone one he had just met, felt so disgraceful; but he was also definitely attracted to this young man and was tired of living by outdated rules that stopped him from taking what he wanted. It also wasn’t like Harry was going anywhere, they had a mission, or at least Harry believed that they did. 

“Well I think I made it embarrassingly clear how keen I was,” Harry said, suddenly unable to look anywhere other than at Steve., He felt utterly foolish for the way that he had acted, practically throwing himself at Steve, completely naked and completely shameless. 

“Should we, I don’t know, maybe try and locate that bedroom after all,” Steve suggested feeling as if he were somehow betraying the man he used to be all those years ago by suggesting this but knowing that he wanted it more than anything else in the moment. 

“Sure, your first time should be on an actual bed after all,” Harry said, astounded that Steve wanted this. He couldn’t believe that after only knowing each other for a few hours that Steve actually trusted him to be his first. 

“First we talk,” Steve reminded him as he took Harry by the hand and leading them through the maze of rooms looking for the bedroom. He was both nervous and excited, but he still wanted to get to know the other man a bit before they did anything.

“Trust me, I can think of a few better uses for my tongue than talking,” Harry said with a salacious grin, letting the taller man continue to lead the way. He knew he should probably put a stop to this, given that the super soldier had never done this before, but he also knew he wouldn’t. 

“Harry… I want to know you,” Steve said stubbornly, as he pushed open one of the doors and found a large bedroom behind it. 

“You will,” Harry promised teasingly, “intimately.” He really didn’t understand why Steve was so determined that they have some kind of heart-to-heart beforehand, but he supposed it was likely due to his upbringing, having come from a different time. He felt uncomfortable with the emotional intimacy that Steve was suggesting, not wanting to make himself so vulnerable. 

“You know what I mean,” Steve said, blushing furiously as he looked around the room; Harry could see the way the other man’s eyes kept sneaking peeks in his direction though and he realised that Steve was probably every bit as nervous about the physical aspects as he was the emotional. Harry was still clutching the towel around his waist with the hand that Steve wasn’t holding and it was fairly clear that they were both aware of how naked Harry could get in under a second. 

“I know, so how about this,” Harry said, tugging on Steve’s hand a little to get him to look his way. He wanted a way for them to balance their own anxieties against the other’s. “For every question I answer, you have to remove an item of clothing, I think that that will be a just reward,” 

“Okay, I can play along with that,” Steve said as he allowed Harry to pull him closer so that they were standing chest to chest, though Harry was considerably shorter than Steve, “But first, I want to try something.” 

Harry nodded his head, though a little hesitantly, not knowing what to expect. With his heart pounding loudly in his chest, Steve leaned his head down and pressed a kiss to Harry’s lips, closing his eyes and enjoying the feeling of Harry melting into him as their tongues met.

“First question…” Harry said, feeling a little breathless as their kiss ended, though they remained close to one another, one of Harry’s hands still between them clinging to his towel while Steve’s arms were resting on the other man’s hips. 

“Your parents,” Steve said, meaning it as a question but it not entirely sounding like one. 

“Killed when I was just a baby, by the man who tried to kill me several times, who gave me the scar on my forehead,”  Harry said, his free hand running up Steve’s chest, “take your t-shirt off please.” Nodding, Steve did as Harry had instructed, taking a step back, crossing his arms over his body and lifting the material up and over his head by the hem. 

“Mine are dead too,” Steve said as he discarded his shirt to the floor, allowing Harry a minute to admire him, which, of course, Harry took full advantage of. “Do you have any other family? Any siblings?”

“No, not really” Harry said sadly; he refused to even acknowledge the Dursley’s as family anymore, not after everything they had put him through. He didn’t even know where they were now anyway. “My family are my friends, though a lot of them died during the war, I mainly avoid them, it’s easier that way,” he added, trying to keep the pain from his voice. “Please remove your shoes.” 

Steve kicked off each shoe in turn, his eyes never once leaving Harry’s, happy that they were finally getting somewhere with one another. “I don’t either, I was an only child and any family I might have had died a long time ago. We have a lot in common it seems,” Steve said with a small smile as he leaned down and claimed a chaste kiss from Harry as he contemplated his next question. 

“Do you play any sports?” Steve asked, thinking that a change of topic was in order considering how upset Harry seemed to be getting with the current questions he was asking. 

“Sports?” Harry asked looking up at him with confusion. “That’s a big change in topic.” He was actually rather glad that they could now discuss something more light hearted, he disliked talking about family and friends, it always lead to more difficult questions that he never wanted to answer. 

“You were getting upset, that wasn’t the point of this,” Steve explained, looking at Harry with concern. He truly had not wanted to upset the other man with his questions, it was not the mood that they were going for after all. 

“I can handle a few questions, ask what you really want to know,” Harry told him firmly. There was no point to this if Steve didn’t find out what he wanted to know, Harry wanted to make sure that they were both comfortable with what was going to happen, if this was what Steve needed, he could give that to him. Besides that, the only sport Harry played was one Steve would never have heard of and Harry found himself not wanting to tell any more lies. 

“Why did you agree to come here?” Steve asked, knowing that this was dangerous territory but wanting to know the answer. He was feeling scared, more scared than he had been in a long time, even compared to the battle of New York. At least then he had been in his comfort zone and known what he had been doing, this was all new territory for him. 

“I was asked to come here by my Boss. I was the best that he had available to him,” Harry explained, picking his words with care, knowing that the wrong one could end up in disaster. 

“Your boss?” Steve questioned curiously. He knew that Fury had brought Harry in, but he had no idea where he had come from really, how Fury had found him in the first place.

“Yes, just like your world has S.H.I.E.L.D, my world has something similar; my boss is to me who Director Fury is to you,” Harry said. “Now please remove your socks and trousers.” 

“But we agreed one item of clothing per question,” Steve said, trying to be coy, though he knew he was doing a bad job of it. He was rather enjoying the closeness of his body to Harry’s and he didn’t want to alter that just yet, he was still adjusting to this. 

“And you asked two questions,” Harry said, simply stating fact, though giving Steve a small smile as if he knew what he was doing.

“Ah, but we could argue that the socks count as two,” Steve returned, trailing one hand up and then back down Harry’s toned chest. The skin was soft and smooth, though there were a few scars here and there, scars that Steve found he wanted to know the story behind one day. However that was not a question for tonight. 

“If you wanted to delay this then you could,” Harry said as he felt Steve’s fingers run around the top of the towel that he was still holding up. He didn’t want Steve to feel that they had to do anything, he wanted the other man to want this as much as he did.

“Perhaps I simply wanted more questions,” Steve said with a smile, placing another chaste kiss to Harry’s lips. Harry was rather enjoying the soft, sweet kisses that Steve was giving him. He hadn’t had such affectionate attention in months, if not years. He rarely took things this slowly with the witches and wizards he took home with him, but it was certainly a nice change of pace.

“How about I ask you a question and if you answer I’m going to drop the towel,” Harry said and Steve nodded, albeit a little nervously. “Can I trust you not to lie to me?” 

“Of course you can trust me,” Steve said, feeling a horrible pang of guilt in the pit of his stomach, knowing that he was already lying to Harry. He couldn’t exactly tell Harry this though, the whole point was that Harry didn’t know that he was being protected, this was a lie that Steve knew he had to tell. 

Good to his word, Harry let go of the towel, letting it fall to the floor. Steve, his breath coming in short, sharp gasps due to his nerves, toed off his socks before going for the button on his trousers, popping it open and revealing the top of white boxers. Harry watched as Steve pushed his trousers down, over his thighs and then to the floor before stepping out of them. 

“One last question,” Harry said, reaching forward and slipping a single finger on each hand under the elastic of the waistband and allowing them to tease around the edges without delving deeper. Both of them were fully erect, all it would take was for one of them to step forward and their erections would be rubbing together. 

Steve thought long and hard before he finally decided upon a question that he considered worth enough to be his final question before they embarked on this unknown journey together, something that was making Steve feel rather apprehensive.

“What would make you truly happy?” Steve asked, reaching up to stroke at a strand of raven hair that had fallen forward of his ear. It was a question that he wanted to know the answer too because he felt as if it was the one thing that he truly wanted to know about the young man. 

“Getting you completely naked,” Harry said with a smile, allowing his hands to delve a little deeper past the elastic of Steve’s boxers, taking that step forward so that their erections were touching. 

“Harry,” Steve said, moving his hands now so that he was holding on to Harry’s, stopping him from going too far before he had answered the question.  

“Okay,” Harry said with a sigh, “I guess that the thing that would make me happy would be a family of my own, children,” he said sadly. Steve seemed genuinely shocked by the truthfulness of this answer, though he was grateful for it. “Now off with those pants Captain,” Harry said, smiling now, hands roaming across Steve’s body. 

Before removing his final article of clothing, Steve took Harry by the waist, picking him up and half placing, half throwing him on to the bed. He took in the sight of the smaller man who lay back upon the bed, his legs spread wide, erection leaking. 

His heart was in his throat as he lowered his boxers, rendering himself completely naked, Harry’s eyes raking over his body hungrily, truly loving what he was seeing. Steve’s view wasn’t half bad either and it was perhaps only a combination of this and his hormones that had intensified with the serum, that he was able to step forward and move on to the bed so that he was kneeling between Harry’s legs. 

“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Harry asked as Steve came forward so that he was supporting himself over Harry, who was looking up at him with wide, lustful eyes. He might have been painfully hard but he didn’t want to force Steve into rushing into his first time when he wasn’t ready. 

“I’m sure,” Steve said, his uncertainty rapidly disappearing as he lowered his body closer to Harry, nestling himself between Harry’s thighs more comfortably. He was still somewhat anxious about taking this step, but distracted himself by pressing his lips to the smaller man’s, deepening the kiss, tongues clashing playfully together. They both moaned, as their erections rubbed together, their bodies moving against one anothers.

“Accio lube,” Harry whispered as Steve nuzzled at his neck, amazed at how instinctual Steve seemed to be, especially considering he had never done this before. Steve only stopped what he was doing as a small bottle of lotion came whizzing into the room of it’s own accord. 

Stopping and looking at Harry with a mix of awe and bewilderment, he said “Okay, I am starting to understand why Fury thought that you might be useful.” 

“For my ability to summon sexual lubricant?” Harry asked, highly amused by this suggestion, “Yes, I think that is exactly what the Avenger’s were missing. It’s no wonder you’re all so tense, it’s all that sexual tension!” 

“Not after tonight,” Steve replied, resuming his ravishing of Harry’s neck, working his way down the smaller man’s body. 

“You have to prepare me,” Harry said, his voice a throaty whisper as a hand closed around his cock, “Otherwise it’ll hurt,” he added. Harry didn’t mind being top or bottom, it depended how much he trusted the person he was with. He much preferred bottoming, it felt too amazing not to do it, though he had to trust the person he allowed inside of him. So far only his work colleagues had had level of trust and only because Harry figured, if he could trust them with his life then he could trust them with this. 

Steve nodded his understanding, hating how nervous he felt about it. “If I hurt you…” he began to say but Harry just shook his head.

“You won’t,” he said as he handed the lotion over to Steve, “trust me.” Those words went through Steve in a way no other words had done before. He knew that they shouldn’t be doing this and not because of who he used to be either, but because he wasn’t being entirely truthful with Harry. 

He had no clue what he was doing but he had to trust that Harry would tell him if something wasn’t right. Of course Steve wasn’t completely clueless, he had been curious about these things before the serum, he had just never acted upon his urges, so he knew vaguely what he had to do, he had simply never put it into practice before. 

Flicking open the cap of the lotion, Steve put a small amount on his index and middle fingers, coating them. If he had had the choice then Steve would have chosen fighting Alien’s or Hydra any day of the week than doing this, he felt so lost and even a little scared, not wanting to hurt Harry in anyway.

With one hand enclosing around Harry’s throbbing erection, Steve slowly and cautiously began to circle the tight ring of muscle with his lubed fingers, letting Harry know what was about to happen. The smaller man was already writhing and gasping from the attention being lavished on his cock, so Steve took the opportunity to slip a single digit inside. 

The reaction Steve got made his confidence sore, Harry couldn’t stop himself from begging for more. The familiar burn from the intrusion was one that he lived for, he truly loved it because he knew that more was coming. Topping just didn’t have the same satisfaction for him. After a few more experimental thrusts with his index finger, Steve added a second and was rewarded by a wanton moan from Harry who was bearing down upon the fingers inside of him. 

By this point Steve was going on gut instinct, not knowing what he was doing but liking the way that Harry was reacting to him. If he had known that it was going to be this good he would have ignored the prejudice of society and just gone for it. Watching Harry squirm and plead for more was making his erection painfully hard, drops of precum leaking from the tip. Steve wasn’t too concerned though, he might have been a virgin but that didn’t mean he hadn’t pleasured himself. He had a lot more staying power since the serum. 

“So good, more,” Harry begged, glad that the other’s man’s uncertainty seemed to have disappeared now that they had actually started something. It had been too long since he had experienced this and he found himself torn between wanting to just get lost in the sensations and wanting to watch the lustful expressions on Steve’s handsome and flushed face.

“It doesn’t hurt?” Steve asked, wanting to be certain, given what Harry had said before; he was pretty sure from the reactions the other man was giving him but he didn’t want there to be any doubt. 

“No, doesn’t hurt, good, really good,” Harry gasped, bearing down upon the fingers buried inside him, wordlessly asking for more. “Please, I can take more, I want more.”

Nervously, Steve inserted a third finger, worried that it would be too much but the groan of appreciation made Steve realise that Harry was very much enjoying himself. Having been stroking the other man’s cock at a slow and steady pace he began to speed up, causing Harry to buck his hips upwards as the wonderful sensations washed over him.

He moved his fingers in and out of the smaller man, wanting to make sure that he wouldn’t cause him any pain with what was to come. He had never thought that the sight of his fingers buried inside another man would be such a turn on, but that, combined with Harry’s enthusiasm, had him achingly hard and needy. “More?” he questioned, not sure how many fingers he should use, how far he needed to stretch Harry open. 

“No, can’t wait any more,” Harry told him, trying to shake his head, but his body was too desperate for what he knew Steve could give him and it more just flopped side to side against the pillow. “I want to feel your cock as it stretches me,” he said, managing to force his eyes open to take in the sight of Steve’s flushed face, though it seemed to be more with arousal than embarrassment.

Steve was a little shocked by the words out of Harry’s mouth, though he couldn’t deny that it turned him on a little. He removed his fingers from inside of the other man, reaching for the lube, knowing that he would need to coat his erection before they could go any further. 

“Allow me,” Harry said, his cheeks flushed red with arousal. Steve handed over the lube, watching Harry with a keen eye as the smaller man squeezed some of the lotion into the palm of his hand. Harry reached out to where Steve had positioned himself, the super soldier kneeling before his lover so that he had easy access. 

He gasped as the cool liquid and the warmth of Harry’s hand encased his throbbing cock. He threw his head back as Harry squeezed him, coating him in the slimy substance. “Enough,” Steve grunted, knowing that if Harry continued his assault then this wasn’t going to last very long. 

“Enough?” Harry asked, worried that they had gone too far and Steve was chickening out or it had simply been too much for him. He honestly thought that he might explode if he didn’t feel Steve inside of him soon. 

“If you keep going then I’m going to come,” Steve explained gently, taking steady breaths as he tried to control himself. Having got this far he knew he wanted more, he wanted to actually go all the way and have sex with Harry. 

“I want you to come inside of me,” Harry said, looking into Steve’s eyes to make sure that he knew that he meant it. This was something Harry wouldn’t let happen often at all, whether it was the different type of alcohol going to his head or whether it was his gut instinct he didn’t know but Harry wanted this more than anything, he wanted to feel as Steve came inside him. 

“Okay,” Steve agreed simply, his voice a little breathy. He wanted that too, more than he had thought he would, and he quickly caught Harry’s lips in another kiss, as he pressed the smaller man back down onto the bed. Harry’s legs were spread wide, and he could feel their erections brushing against each other, his hands moving down Harry’s chest, until he had hold of his hips. “Ready?” Steve asked, meeting Harry’s eyes.

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” Harry retorted, as Steve reached between their legs and maneouvered his erection towards Harry’s entrance. He could feel the tip of it against his cheeks, the slick pre-cum leaking onto his skin, all proof of how much this man wanted him.

Slowly and steadily, Steve pushed himself inside of the smaller man, watching his face carefully. He wasn’t sure he had prepared him enough and he was ready to stop the second Harry showed any inclination of pain. However the look of awe on his face as his pupils went to little pin pricks in a sea of green was enough to spur Steve on. 

“Oh, fuck,” Harry gasped out, clasping at his partners large shoulders as Steve entered him. The intensity of it was almost too much, it had been a while since Harry had been on the receiving end of sex and Steve was not the smallest of men. 

“Do you need me to stop?” Steve asked, his voice strained as he held himself over the smaller man, not wanting to put too much weight on him. He was finally fully sheathed inside of his lover and the heat surrounding his erection combined with how tight Harry felt was almost enough to push him over the edge. He truly had not felt anything as amazing before in his life and he had to take a moment to bring himself under control. 

“Fuck, no, don’t stop,” Harry gasped out, needing more, it wasn’t a matter of wanting any more, Harry genuinely didn’t think that he could have survived if Steve pulled out of him now. Harry looked up into blue eyes, smiling as sweat trickled down his skin, his breathing erratic and uncontrolled. 

Pulling out a little, Steve then pushed himself back in, causing Harry to threw his head back, mouth open in a silent scream of pleasure as the sensitive bundle of nerves inside of him was brushed against. Snaking his arms underneath the smaller man, Steve gathered Harry up into his arms, drawing him closer and pushing himself deeper inside of the other man. 

Harry wrapped his legs around Steve’s waist as the large, muscled superhero sat them up, rocking himself in and out with gentle motions that had his large cock brushing against Harry’s prostate with each thrust. With his arms around the smaller man, Steve drew him into a passionate kiss that was so sweet and tender, Harry thought he felt him feeling something that he couldn’t contribute to lust. Steve was so kind and gentle, it wasn’t something he had ever experienced during sex before. 

“Going to…” Harry gasped as he felt the heat in his stomach coil tighter as he got closer to his climax. Steve was relentless in brushing against the little bundle of nerves inside of him and he knew he wasn’t going to last very much longer. 

Without any further warning, Harry seemed to explode, his orgasm tearing through him, almost violently so. Pearly white drops of come splattering across both their chests. Steve felt Harry constrict around him and this was just too much for him, his own release hitting him out of nowhere. He became lost in a wave of pleasure as he came inside of the smaller man who was still riding out his own climax. 

It took several moments for the two of them to catch their breath and regain themselves. When Steve went to remove himself however, Harry stopped him, shaking his head, not wanting for the sensation to end. “I like it,” he whispered softly, running his hands through sweat slicked blond hair, “feeling you,” he elaborated when Steve looked a little confused. Without saying a word, Steve tightened his hold around the smaller man and kissed him for all he was worth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to leave me a lovely comment, also, come and find me on facebook and pester me :)


	5. I just had sex

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day after the night before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm having such great feedback for this story and I love it. Keep the comments and reviews coming in, they're fantastic.

Affliction of War

Chapter Five – I just had sex

Affliction of War

Chapter Five – I just had sex

_Sometimes, something beautiful happens in this world…_

Harry groaned as he stirred from sleep, music was being playing into his room at an unbearable level and he wasn’t entirely happy at being woken up so early. He was a little sore, though pleasantly so and he could feel another body wrapped snugly around his. Harry turned his body so that he was facing his bed companion and tried to bury his head into the bare chest he found there to escape the intrusive song.

_You don’t know how to express yourself, so you just gotta sing …. I just had Sex! And it felt so good!!_

“What the fuck is that noise?!” Harry demanded grumpily as he felt Steve begin to stir beside him, groaning in annoyance as his hold around Harry tightened. Whatever the racket blaring out into their room was, it wasn’t music, in fact Steve wasn't sure he had heard anything so aggravating since he had woken up from his seventy year sleep.

“Tony’s idea of a joke,” Steve grumbled, equally as unhappy as Harry about the situation. He would have been more than happy to lie in bed and glow in the aftermath of the night before, his partner cuddled into him, Tony, however, had other plans it seemed.

_A woman let me put my penis inside of her!_

“I am NOT a woman!” Harry shouted rather irately to the room. Thanks to Happy’s extensive lecturing the day before, Harry knew that the whole sky scraper was wired with speakers, microphones, security cameras, the works, which was why Tony always had access to Jarvis, but right now it wasn’t something that Harry appreciated.

_I just had sex! And I’ll never go back, to the not having sex ways of the past._

“TONY!” Steve yelled. “Shut it off!”

_Have you ever had sex? I have, it felt great. It felt so good when I did it with my penis!_

“Allow me,” Harry said, having had enough of the loud and intrusive song. “Silencio,” he shouted and immediately the room fell silent; however, they could still hear the vile song playing in the corridor outside of the bedroom. Clearly the spell wasn’t going to have much of an effect outside the room that Harry was in.

“Now that was impressive,” Steve said as he leaned over and captured Harry’s lips in a searing kiss. He had a feeling that he was going to continue being astounded by this young man’s capabilities for a long time yet.

“Even with gross morning breath that was an awesome good morning; even with Tony’s version of a wake up call,” Harry said grinning. He snuggled in closer to Steve, their naked bodies locking together in a tangle of limbs, their morning erections painfully obvious to one another, neither of them feeling particularly shy about them either.

“Let’s go back to my rooms, we can brush our teeth and find you some clothes,” Steve suggested as Harry began to kiss and nuzzle at the smaller man's neck, hands wandering to wonderful places.

“But I want us naked, much more fun,” Harry said cheekily, wanting the moment in bed with Steve to last. It was strange waking up and having his lover from the previous night still there. More often than not they just weren’t. When they were they made a fairly quick exit when Harry made it perfectly clear they were nothing more than a one night stand. Steve was the first in a while that Harry would consider sleeping with again, and again.

“We can’t go to the briefing with Fury naked, Harry,” Steve said, a slightly amused expression on his face. After last night he wasn’t sure why he had made such a big deal about everything, he rather enjoyed Harry’s cheek and flirting if he were honest with himself and he knew that he could match it when he grew accustomed to it.

“Sure we can,” Harry said with a grin, “maybe we all could. Can you imagine if we all went naked? I’d love to see Thor’s other hammer.”

“As long as you’re only looking,” Steve said, a hand reaching up to stroke at the tufts of raven hair. Harry had slept with it wet the night before and as a result it was even messier than it usually would have been. It was something that Steve found rather endearing and extremely cute when combined with Harry’s sleepy emerald eyes.

“Jealous, Captain?” Harry teased, rather liking the fact that Steve was seemingly a little possessive of him. The gleam in his eyes when Steve looked at Harry made his stomach tingle and his libido sky rocket. There was no denying that he truly wanted this man in every way that he could have him.

“I’ve never been good at sharing, Harry,” Steve told him honestly. When it came to relationships he was very traditional. Steve would be adamant on the fact that relationships were to be between two people, not three or four. He had always been a loyal man, to his friends, to his country and now to the Avengers. If Harry would let him then he would be just as loyal to Harry too.

“Then perhaps, at some point, I shall have to teach you the potential benefits of sharing,” Harry said with a cheeky grin, thinking of how much fun he had had with a few guys sharing him in the past. He could only imagine that that would be so much better if the two men in question were Steve and Thor or even Steve and Tony, ot Bruce and Steve. Either way it had to be Steve, the night before had been too amazing for it not to be.

“You’ve been shared before?” Steve asked curiously; he was torn between being completely fascinated and being irrationally jealous. Imagining Harry with anyone else made a fire of anger ignite in his belly at the thought. He wasn’t sure where these emotions were coming from but he was certain that he couldn’t ignore them. No one had ever done extensive tests on the full affects that the serum had had on him, though from what he knew from experience was that it affected everything about him, even his moods.

“Just the once and it was a lot of fun,” Harry said with a fond smile. The two men that he had been with had been a great way to relax after one of his more stressful mission’s right before he had been promoted. He hadn’t expected for the retrieval of an unidentified magical object to go so wrong, but it had and he had a nasty scar to prove it as well as a dead partner too. He had been glad when he had been able to put it in the Ministry under his unique protective enchantments and forget about it.

“Not with me, Harry, I want all of you, not just fun,” Steve said and although his tone was serious, he continued stroking the dark, tufty hair rather affectionately. He needed Harry to know that whatever they had between them he was going to take it seriously.

Harry looked up at Steve, studying him curiously, trying to figure out his own emotions more than anything else. He hadn’t been in a serious relationship since he and Ginny had slipt up, right before he had become an Auror. His fame had always got in the way of him forming anything meaningful with anyone. It had been so bad once that his one night stand had asked him for a photo and an autograph as they had got ready to leave, it was enough to put anyone off people. However, Steve didn’t know anything about that, Harry could see himself starting over here and simply because no one knew who he was.

Of course there were all of the half-truths and the things that he had to conceal from him, at least for the moment but in time, Harry was sure that Steve could be told most of them. He couldn’t deny that he found himself wanting to try, it was something he had wanted for such a long time and he had none of his usual excuses to hold him back.

“I don’t usually do relationships,” Harry said honestly, testing the waters a little, his voice soft and withdrawn as he spoke. His fingers traced patterns across his lover’s bare chest, a sensation that Steve found he rather enjoyed. “At home there were so many reasons why I avoided anything meaningful,” he tried to explain.

“And what about here?” Steve asked, making a mental note to ask what the reasons were another time, all the while watching Harry rather intently. He found the young man fascinating and he truly wanted to get to know him more, both his mind and his body.

“It’s a fresh start,” Harry said with a smile, placing a soft kiss to Steve's chest, truly feeling as if this was right. He couldn't explain it but he felt safe here in the larger man's arms, it was a feeling that he had never had with anyone that had shared his bed.

“Does that mean you want a relationship?” Steve asked, not wanting to get his hopes up if he had misinterpreted what Harry had meant. He had seen how flirtatious Harry had been, his reliance on alcohol was also painfully clear even after just the one night together but despite all of that Steve felt an undeniable attraction to this man and he wanted him more than he had ever wanted anything.

“I want to try if you do,” Harry said with a smile. In response, Steve just grinned, pulling him into a passionate kiss, tongues dancing together as hands wandered lower, groping and touching each other in the most private and intimate of places.

Relationships were new and different to both of them so they were more than aware that it was going to be a complete learning curve but it seemed that they both wanted to give it a try, which meant they could figure things out together. The problem was that both of them were keeping secrets and they were also both aware that it was never going to work if they kept lying to one another.

“Let’s find some clothes,” Steve suggested as he broke the kiss, thinking that they needed to get dressed before they started something that would make them late to their meeting this morning. “I'll find you something from my room,” he said, knowing that Harry didn't have anything clean to wear, though convinced that his clothes were not going to fit the smaller man.

“Shall I grab my towel then?” Harry asked in amusement as Steve began to untangle himself from Harry and the covers that had managed to twist themselves around the two of them, almost binding them together.

“Not a chance,” Steve said as he went for his clothes, “you’ll only drop it again. What happened to your clothes?” he asked, looking over to where Harry was starting to sit up, stretching and giving Steve a proper eyeful.

“They stink of plane, there is no chance I can wear them again and not seem like a vagrant,” Harry said, his nose wrinkled in disgust at the thought of putting yesterday's clothes on again.

Steve just rolled his eyes, though he did see Harry's point. He wouldn't have wanted to put the same clothes on again either when he had been travelling in them all day. “Here,” he said handing over his boxers and t-shirt to Harry, “put these on instead.”

“Wearing your boxers,” Harry mused with a smile on his face, pulling the white boxer shorts on while still on the bed, “very kinky Cap.”

Steve gave Harry a look of disdain as he pulled on his trousers, watching as Harry too got dressed, pulling the too big t-shirt over his head. He did think it rather a shame for them to be putting clothes on but they did have a briefing to attend with the others and Fury in little under an hour so they didn’t really have time for much else. Harry, however, had other plans and as he clambered off the bed he wrapped his arms around Steve’s neck and kissed him for all he was worth, their morning erections not having died down much at all.

What Steve was not aware of was that Harry, being the devious little minx that he was, had a plan in mind. It was a rather wonderful plan, at least from Harry's perspective it was and he didn’t care in the slightest that it might make them late for the briefing.

With Harry unwilling to end their kiss, Steve had to physically pick up the smaller man and carry him out of the bedroom, where thankfully the god-awful song had stopped playing, and towards the elevator. Jabbing the button, while still ravishing Harry's mouth, the lift door slid open within seconds and Steve was able to manoeuvre them inside, never breaking the kiss.

However, the moment Steve had put Harry down on his own two feet, and the doors were shut, the speaker system within in the lift suddenly came to life. _I’m horny, horny, horny, horny. So horny, I’m horny, horny, horny. I’m horny, horny, horny, horny. So horny, I’m horny, horny, horny tonight._ The sound of the lyrics to a song that they both actually recognized made them break apart, both of them willing to hurt Tony in a serious way.

“I think I’m going to kill him,” Steve said with a groan as Harry snuggled into him. Tony Stark certainly did have a strange sense of humour, though now that he was more awake it seemed to be one that Harry understood as he was smiling a little.

The music unfortunately didn’t stop until the lift did, the doors sliding open, revealing Bruce, who was clearly on his way up to the communal floor for breakfast, a book tucked under one arm. He looked a little shocked to see Harry and Steve already in the elevator in various states of undress; however he passed no comment as he got in. Harry was trying not to burst into a fit of laughter and poor Steve was looking a little tense at the intrusion on their privacy.

“Good morning,” Bruce said as he got in and pressed the button for floor seventy-five, the communal kitchen, and dining area. He hadn't failed to note how cuddly the two of them seemed to be. Harry was leaning his weight against the larger man, Steve having an arm around Harry, holing him there.

“Morning,” Steve returned a little stiffly as the lift began to ascend upwards, hopeful that Tony was now done with his little prank. It was awkward enough to have Bruce there with them at all, however it would have made it so much worse if another song about them having sex had started playing.

“Have fun last night?” Bruce asked innocently, trying not to smile as he took in the fact that the two of them were only half dressed, and what Harry was wearing was clearly Steve’s clothing.

“I didn’t think you were one for gossip, Bruce,” Steve said rather sternly, which set off Harry’s sniggering. He was finding the whole situation rather funny, the fact that he was half hard in a lift with two rather attractive men was putting him in a rather good mood; though he was rather looking forward to having Captain America all to himself again very soon.

“Not usually,” he agreed with a small smile to Steve who couldn’t help but glare at him as the lift came to a stop at level sixty-nine. This was another personal joke of Tony’s, one that Steve didn’t find in the least bit amusing. “See you when you’re finished,” Bruce said with a small chuckle as Steve ushered Harry out of the lift into the hallway outside his personal rooms.

“Oh I like him,” Harry said with amusement as the elevator doors closed and the two of them were left alone once again. Steve said nothing in return, grabbing Harry to him and pressing their lips together. “Now we’re definitely going to be late,” Harry said as he broke the kiss, dropping down to his knees.

“What are you… oh,” Steve said as Harry’s hands went to the button and zipper of his trousers. Harry was grinning broadly as he opened the fastenings, reaching inside to find the prize that he wanted. Steve gasped as the smaller man's hands made contact, still not at all used to the feel of someone else touching him there, as Harry’s hand enclosed around his erection, gently pulling it free from its confines.

Before Steve could protest any more Harry had taken the tip of his erection into his mouth, tongue running over the head, almost making Steve’s knees buckle with the unexpected sensation. Harry gripped Steve’s hips, controlling how much the other man could thrust forward. Since it was Steve’s first time he seemed to get rather lost in the sensation of it all and he could hardly control himself and Harry knew that they were going to have to find somewhere for Steve to sit down before he fell down.

Just as Harry was about to withdraw and suggest this, he felt Steve’s hands weave into his hair, encouraging him to continue and so he did. Hollowing out his cheeks, Harry took Steve’s cock deeper into his mouth until the tip brushed the back of his throat. He had spent a good few years learning to suppress his gag reflex and could take it easily now.

Swallowing around his partner’s erection, Harry was filled with confidence when Steve groaned with pleasure, hands forming fists in raven hair, sparking small jolts of pain, though there were not ones that Harry didn’t find enjoyable. There was certainly something very arousing about the other man’s dominance and this small amount of pain gave him undeniable pleasure.

“Oh, Harry,” Steve moaned. He had heard of people doing this, but it was never something he had experienced before, though certainly something he was already hoping to have again at some point. It was very different to what they had done the night before, but even the sight of Harry on his knees was a complete turn on. The waves of pleasure had forced his eyes closed now though, but he could have watched his cock disappearing past those sweet pink lips all day.

Harry was a talented young man in many things it seemed, Steve wanted to shout with ecstasy as the smaller man withdrew to run his tongue along the underside of his erection. Harry swirled his tongue around the head, lapping up leaking drops of pre cum, sending waves of pleasure shooting through Steve’s body.

He wasn’t quite sure how he was still on his feet, given how light-headed it all made him feel, though the hand he had threaded into Harry’s hair was helping to keep him slightly grounded. It was taking great concentration for him to not pull too hard, knowing all too well how easy it was for him to hurt others given the strength the serum had given him.

With his breathing coming fast and heavy he knew that he was getting close, especially now that one of Harry’s hands had moved from his waist to play with his balls. With his heart racing, Steve couldn’t hold it back any more, his balls getting tighter and a heat building in his stomach. He didn’t even have a chance to shout a warning as he came, spilling his seed into Harry’s willing mouth.

As Harry withdrew, Steve dropped down to his knees so that they were facing one another, pulling the smaller man into a passionate kiss, finding it rather erotic that he could taste himself upon Harry’s tongue. Never mind the fact that they were kneeling on the floor in the hallway just in front of the lift doors where anyone could happen upon them at any moment, neither of them caring about their various states of undress.

“Stop,” Steve said a little breathless, breaking the kiss as Harry went to remove his t-shirt, the smaller of the two wanting a whole lot more. “We don’t have time,” he said as Harry looked at him questioningly.

“They’ll wait,” Harry said with a shrug, rather enjoying his moment with Steve and not wanting it to end. Never before had Harry cared so little for a mission, never had his one night stands ever gone further than the night they were started and not once had he ever put them before his work. Steve was different though, he was something that he hadn’t even known he had been looking for; someone who didn’t know who he was and didn’t judge him for his past.

“We can’t,” Steve said, giving harry a chaste kiss to his lips, “but we should shower before we go up, I think we smell.”

“A sign of very good sex,” Harry said cheekily, his hands running up Steve's bare, muscled chest, “I’ll agree to that, if we shower together,” he added, looking at the muscled man with lust in his eyes, thinking that showering with Captain America was definitely something he was interested in.

“And you think I don’t already know you well enough to know how that would play out?” Steve asked, amusement twinkling in blue eyes that made Harry smile at him. Harry really loved the small grin that played on the larger man’s lips, Steve’s small insecurities and the endearing feistiness that came to the forefront with his confidence.

“Well it’s hardly my fault you are so… distracting,” Harry said, his eyes sweeping over the almost naked body of his lover, Steve’s now flaccid cock still hanging out of his trousers as the two of them kissed and fondled one another.

“I have honestly never met anyone like you before,” Steve said in utter bewilderment, not entirely sure where Harry could have come from to make him as he was. His confidence was astounding, his talent in the bedroom truly amazing but he knew that behind the handsome face there were emotional traumas that had left scars, he knew this because he had them himself, he had seen a flicker of them in Harry the night before and it only made him want to know Harry more.

“I don’t know if I should take that as a compliment or be offended,” Harry said with mock seriousness as Steve stood up, finding it too uncomfortable to kneel on the floor any more, his legs finally having recovered enough from his orgasm to walk. When he was finally on his feet, he turned and gathered Harry up into his arms by the waist, the smaller man obliging by wrapping his legs around Steve’s waist.

“Trust me, it’s a compliment,” Steve said with amusement, heading to where he knew the bathroom to be, thinking that this might be the only way to get them both clean and to the meeting on time. It was clear that Harry’s libido was rather difficult to satisfy.

“I think you might have to prove it,” Harry said as he was carried through the corridors, Steve finally kicking open the bathroom door as he had his hands full and finally placing Harry back on his own two feet so that they could finish undressing. He wasn’t sure how his trousers had stayed up, they were clinging to his waist but only barely, Steve was pretty sure that if it hadn’t have been for Harry’s legs then they would have fallen off by now.

“And to think I believed that I would never have anyone in my life cause me more trouble than Tony,” Steve said grinning, watching as Harry removed the t-shirt and was left only in a pair of too large boxer shorts that were on the verge of sliding off Harry’s slender waist all on their own. Steve honestly wasn’t sure how it was even possible but he could feel himself growing hard again, just from watching Harry disrobe.

\------------------------x

“Where are they?” Clint asked somewhat grumpily. He was sat in a meeting room waiting on Steve and Harry to make an appearance. The fact that he hadn’t even been allowed to get coffee before the damned briefing was putting him in a foul mood, which, combined with the fact that his hair was still electric blue was making him rather on edge. It was perhaps a good thing that he had left his more lethal weapons elsewhere.

“They seemed slightly preoccupied when I saw them in the elevator this morning,” Bruce said coyly, he was in a slightly better mood than Clint, having woken up earlier than him and had time to get some breakfast and earl grey tea with honey, his favourite, before joining the others for their meeting. He wasn’t entirely shocked that Steve and Harry were yet to arrive considering the state they had been in when he had seen them in the lift.

“I made sure they woke up in time,” Tony said with amusement. He was feeling rather pleased with himself about the little joke he had played on the pair. “You owe me, Clint, you know those two shacked up last night.” Clint glowered unhappily at Stark as the man sipped at his Starbucks. How he had managed to get the damn drink so early was beyond Clint who was sitting there thoroughly under caffeinated for so early in the morning.

“I can testify to that if the way they were acting this morning is anything to go by,” Bruce said, “Both of them wearing Steve’s clothes and being very cuddly, though I didn’t see anything intimate, thankfully.”

“They had sex?” Thor questioned, not entirely understanding the subtle innuendo that was being bantered about. Bruce was a man that he could usually understand, unless it was science that he was discussing, but this morning was an exception. In Asgard things did not need to be so subtle.

Fury was stood, arms crossed and looking menacing at the front of the room. He, along with Natasha, were the only two that remained silent, neither of them having the inclination to join in the conversation. Nick was not best pleased with the situation, Harry was here to be protected, not to be the play mate of his avengers.

From what Kingsley had told him, he knew that Harry was somewhat promiscuous but regardless, he hadn’t expected for him to bed one of the Avengers on his first night in America. However, he couldn’t deny that he was curious about the combination of magic and serum, this was something that fascinated him so despite being a little annoyed, he wasn’t going to say anything to them. If they were going to waste his time then he saw no problem with using them as an experiment of sorts.

“Sorry we’re late,” Steve said, suddenly entering the room, ushering Harry in front of him, both of them looking a little flushed, their hair still wet from the shower, which had gone exactly how Steve had expected it to go. Harry truly was insatiable.

Harry had had to take some of Steve’s clothes because otherwise he really would have been coming to the meeting in his towel, a suggestion that Steve had vetoed instantly for the second time when they had finally got out of the shower they had shared. Luckily Harry had been able to shrink the borrowed clothes down well enough to fit him, though they weren’t exactly comfortable on him. He was going to have to go out and buy some new stuff sooner rather than later.

“You don’t look sorry,” Natasha said, glaring at the two men, her lips pressed into a thin line. She did not approve of the team blurring the lines between work and personal in the way that Harry and Steve clearly were. She had restrained herself when it came to Clint for years because it had been frowned upon. The fact that Steve and Harry were so blatantly flaunting what they were doing made her angry.

“He isn’t,” Harry returned cheekily as he took a seat at the table with everyone else, Steve taking the seat beside him, cheeks scarlet with embarrassment from Harry's words. He wasn’t accustomed to everyone knowing about his private business and he wasn’t sure he liked it either. It was something that the two of them would have to discuss later.

“If you are done with your childish games,” Fury said, clearly growing rather tired of the banter, “We have more urgent matters to deal with.” Immediately silence fell across the gathered team, the seriousness of Fury’s tone echoing around the room. “Loki has been seen on earth,” he continued somewhat solemnly.

“How did he escape?” Clint demanded at once, of course none of them were shocked with this revelation, not after Thor’s dramatic arrival the night before but it didn’t mean they were happy about it. Clint was always going to take this more personally than the others because of the last time Loki had come into their lives.

“He had assistance,” Thor said, clearly unhappy with the situation. Escaping from Asgardian custody was no easy feat to achieve and he wanted to know how it had been done so that he could stop it from happening again.

“Who would help him?” Natasha asked, she didn’t want Loki back on this planet any more than the others did. The devastation that he had caused the last time he was here had been catastrophic. The city was still licking its wounds and rebuilding from that and it was going to do no one any good for another Alien force to try their luck.

“What does he want this time?” Tony asked, thinking on what Thor has asked Harry the evening before. He glanced over to the British man who was watching and listening intently, concentrating on what was being said.

“This,” Fury said, pressing a button on the computer in front of him and the screens on the wall behind him lit up, showing a picture of a round sphere that seemed to glow an eerie green colour in the centre, strips of thin, silver lines criss-crossing all over it. “It fell to earth two months ago and hasn’t been seen since.”

“What is its purpose?” Thor asked, it was not something that he had seen before and this worried him. He couldn’t even allocate it to a race that he knew of. This concerned him because if it truly was Alien then he should have been aware of it before now.

“From what we can tell it registers the natural ability of the person holing it and duplicates power, storing it inside the body until it is extracted,” Fury explained. “We were able to extract readings from it before it landed and from what we can tell, the power inside it is immense; certainly not something we want Loki to get his hands on.”

“Where has Loki been seen?” Harry asked, thinking that he might already know the answer. He had a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach, one of worry and concern because he recognized this sphere and he knew exactly where it had ended up because he had been the one to put it there.

“London,” Fury said, meeting Harry’s eyes and sharing a look with him. The Director pressed another button and brought up several pictures that covered the screens, pictures of Loki, actually trying to blend in with the crowd and another man, a red head, someone who seemed horribly familiar to Harry. “He seems to have recruited a man with similar abilities to Harry’s,” Fury explained as the gathered Avenger’s observed the pictures. Harry however didn’t need to, he recognized the red head in the photo’s already. At the sight of his friend his fists had clenched, anger sparking a fire inside of him.

“That is why you brought him on board, to help,” Natasha said, casting a glance over to Harry who had tensed up considerably, trying very hard to remain calm.

“Harry,” Steve whispered, having noticed that the man beside him had tensed considerably, “Are you alright?” he asked and gave a frown of concern when Harry shook his head softly, unable to form words.

“Who this man is and the purpose to which Loki wants to use him is still being questioned,” Fury said, only to stop as Harry shook his head.

“That man is George Weasley, he is a friend of mine,” Harry said somewhat stiffly. His mind was going a mile a minute, unable to think clearly and not understanding how this world had so horribly collided with his own.

“That can’t be a coincidence,” Steve said, looking to Director Fury, “the fact that he’s here, that Loki is targeting people he knows.”

“And that sphere thing didn’t disappear, I found it, on my last field assignment before my promotion, my partner at the time died trying to remove it and put it somewhere safe,” Harry said, the guilt of this death was still weighing on his conscience, another life that he hadn’t been able to save.

“You can access this?” Fury asked, a little shocked himself that Harry would have access to this item. Even he had not been expecting that. He had known that Loki was after Harry and that was why Kingsley had sent Harry to them, to keep him out of harms way. Of course Nick had failed to let his brother know that he knew Loki, the new dark threat rising up against the wizarding world and Harry would be no safer with them than at home under the watchful eyes of the Ministry of Magic.

“I can, I’m the only one who can,” Harry said with certainty. He had placed this item in the Ministry himself, securing it with protective enchantments that only he would be able to break. He had made sure that this item that had caused the death of a fellow Auror was unreachable by anyone who could do damage with it.

“You’re sure?” Tony asked, looking a little concerned. “Even the best locks can be cracked,” he added looking rather sceptical.

“There aren’t any locks,” Harry said somewhat testily. “Not even George will be able to get to it, it isn’t’ possible. I can’t explain to you how or why without breaking a hundred laws from my world so just trust me when I tell you that no one can get it but me.”

“So Loki does want you,” Thor said, his eyes narrowed at Harry. He had thought that it was just too much of a coincidence that the young man was here, with them and had nothing to do with his little brother making a break back to earth.

“What happens if Loki gets his hands on this device?” Bruce asked, he had been sitting rather silently, contemplating everything that was being said and he now wanted to know what the worst case scenario was if they failed.

“He’d get my power and whatever else was in that sphere when it landed here,” Harry said somewhat bitterly.

“How would be get your power?” Steve questioned with concern, looking at Harry, worried by how he was reacting. He had never had a friend manipulated and used against him so he had no idea how it felt but just by the look on Harry’s face he knew that it was bad.

“I touched it, it would have absorbed my power and duplicated it too,” Harry said, not under any delusion that this was what had happened. Now that the sphere had wizarding power, Harry knew that he was in this to the bitter end no matter what happened. The kind of power that they had as wizards was not something that they wanted falling into alien hands.

“How does one go about extracting the power?” Thor asked, Loki must have had a way if it was his plan to do just that. It couldn't be easy, seeking power in such vast quantities never was, there would need to be some kind of sacrifice.

“Information on that is limited,” Fury said, his tone heavy with frustration. It was clear that S.H.I.E.L.D had very little information regarding this unidentified object, which was very unlike them as an organisation. They had assumed Alien as it had fallen from the sky but normally when it came to anything extra terrestrial they knew what they were dealing with rather than being utterly clueless. Fury was starting to think that it might not have been alien at all but magical instead, in which case it was exactly where it needed to be.

“If Loki is in London then why was I sent here?” Harry suddenly questioned, looking to Fury with fire in his emerald eyes. In Harry's mind there had been so many things that hadn't added up from the beginning and now he was even more suspicious. “You didn't ask for my help did you?”

None of them knew where to look or what to say. Of course Harry had hit the nail on the end with that question but none of them wanted to confirm it, it wasn’t their job to do so, it was Fury who had bought Harry in and it was therefore his responsibility to tell Harry the truth now that he had figured it out. Though, not even Fury had thought that Harry would catch on as quickly as he had and he didn’t quite know what to tell him.

When Fury had agreed with his brother that Harry could come here to be protected he had known that Loki was a threat and he had thought that having a wizard on the side of the Avengers couldn’t hurt, though he hadn’t told Kingsley that. He had allowed his brother to believe that the young man was here purely for protection. Now it seemed that Loki was the force that Kingsley had been trying to protect Harry from and sending him away for his protection had backfired horribly.

“I knew it,” Harry said shaking his head in disbelief when no one said anything, confirming his suspicions. He knew that Kingsley had been acting weird and not telling him everything before he left for the so called mission, practically lying to him to get him to come here. “You all knew didn't you,” Harry said looking around at each of the Avenger's who all looked a little sheepish, “Even you,” he added, turning to look at Steve accusingly.

“We weren't suppose to tell you,” Steve said, his tone full of regret, “We were just meant to protect you,” he added and to his credit the first Avenger did look as sorry as he sounded. Last night and this morning for Steve had been amazing, truly mind blowing and he wanted it to carry on but the anger burning in Harry’s eyes was terrifying to him.

“And sleeping with me an added bonus?” Harry snarled, getting to his feet. “Excuse me,” he said, addressing the rest of the group, “I need a moment.” Then without another word he turned and left, trying not to storm out in a huff, simply leaving them to it. He needed some time to think, after all he had been lied to by people he thought that he trusted.

George was in trouble and Harry knew that that meant that Ron would be getting involved back home, putting himself at risk. Hell, Harry would be shocked if Hermione wasn’t involved with trying to save him too. He didn’t know what motivation Kingsley had had for taking him out of the situation but he was going to find out, no matter what it took.

Harry wasn’t entirely sure where he wanted to go as he made a sharp jab at the call button for the elevator but he knew that he didn’t want to be found for a while. No where in Stark tower was not going to give him the privacy that he needed. All Tony had to do was ask Jarvis to scan the tower and they’d instantly know where he was.

Stepping into the lift, Harry made the rash decision that he was going for a walk. Pressing the ground floor option with considerable force the elevator began to descend. Essentially he wasn’t mad at Steve, Tony or the others, they had been following orders, he hadn’t known them long and Harry could tell that for all of them bar only Tony and Bruce, following orders was a way of life. They wouldn’t have questioned a mission from someone they trusted, just like he hadn’t when Kingsley had spoken to him about coming here.

The only issue Harry had with what Steve had done was that he had looked him in the eye and asked if he could trust him. There hadn’t been any hesitation or doubt when Steve had said yes and Harry had, perhaps foolishly, believed him. He liked Steve, they had bonded, physically and emotionally the night before, Harry having told him things very few people knew but he couldn’t help but feel a little betrayed.

Stepping out of the lift on the ground floor Harry started to stride purposefully towards the exit, needing to be outside and away from the Avengers for a little while, just so he could get his head around things. He fully intended on coming back in a few hours, perhaps after he had done some shopping because he didn’t want to have to rely on the others to provide clothes for him.

Thankfully no one tried to stop him as he left, outside there were a few fan girls still lingering but they weren’t interested in him, they had no idea who he was so they didn’t even look his way as he came out of the building and started walking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter.Don't forget to leave a comment for me.


	6. Unwelcome Attention

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry gets some unwelcome attention.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the wonderful comments. I'm so glad that you're all still enjoying the story. Please enjoy this new chapter and don't forget to leave a comment and let me know what you think.

“Leave him,” Director Fury said as the lift door closed on Harry and he was gone. Steve had looked as if he was about to get up and go after him but Nick couldn't let that happen, not just yet, not until they had figured out some sort of plan for how to deal with Loki. Members of the team had gone AWOL before, it was nothing new, and he knew that Harry was perfectly capable of taking care of himself, so he wasn’t particularly worried.

In truth, the pictures of Loki and George were a week old by now, there had been no sign of either George or of Loki in that time. Whatever he was doing he was being uncharacteristically quiet. Subtle had never been something that Loki was capable of before now and it was a worry because without hide nor hair of him they had no idea what he was doing. Loki had always had a flare for the dramatics, whatever he was up to couldn’t be good. 

They were lucky that Harry’s temporary move from the United Kingdom to America had been so discreet. There was only one person in England that knew his exact location so Nick Fury was sure that Harry was safe to wander off on his own for the time being. Baring a media storm declaring him to be an Avenger and living in New York, Loki wouldn’t have a clue where he had been hidden away.

Harry therefore could be allowed this time to gather his thoughts and he could then come back to them in his own time when he had calmed down, just like Bruce had returned during the battle of New York. Besides, Harry had the right to storm off given the lies that had brought him here. He would let the others go and try to reason with him once they were done here.

“Aren't we still meant to protect him?” Steve argued, fighting the instinct he had to follow Harry and make sure nothing happened to him. He felt rather guilty for having told Harry that he could be trusted when he had been lying. He wanted to follow the younger man and explain himself, though he wasn't sure what good it would do, Harry was clearly furious and feeling rather betrayed; it had been hard enough to get Harry to open up to him the first time.

“He can protect himself,” Natasha said bluntly, tired of babying the young man already. She could respect him as a fighter, even with the little that she had been seen, but they had another mission now too, Harry was not their only priority.

“That is not the point,” Steve said rather harshly, glaring at Natasha. She had been somewhat hostile towards Harry since the moment that he had arrived the day before, so he didn't expect for her to be sympathetic but he hadn’t thought that she would disregard Harry completely like she was now. “Making sure that Loki doesn't get this sphere is the job we have to do, and Harry is part of that! Even if you ignore our orders to keep him safe.”

“Alright, Miss Congeniality,” Tony said, wanting to tone down the tension in the room. “As long as Harry is in the tower he'll be fine.” He added, he was confident in his security system, no one was getting into Avenger’s tower without his or Happy’s knowledge. It was more than Happy’s job’s worth to allow someone unauthorized into the tower. Besides that no one who wasn’t authorized could access the lift, Tony had made sure of this personally.

“As long as he stays in the tower,” Bruce pointed out. He was under no delusion about Harry’s fiery temper and thought that the young man probably wouldn't put his own safety first when in a bad mood. He was fairly sure that Harry had probably already left the tower or was about to; he knew he would have in his place. Bruce could see, even from the little he knew of the young man, that Harry would do what he wanted, whenever he wanted to do it.

“Why would he leave?” Thor asked, feeling a little confused. He hadn't been told that they were meant to be protecting Harry so he didn't understand why Harry had reacted the way he had, or the emotion behind why the young man had stormed out in the first place. In Thor’s mind, he was here to take his little brother home and in the process of this, stop Loki from getting his hands on the unspeakable power the sphere contained. He dreaded to thinking what might happen if Loki got his hands on that much power.

“Jarvis,” Tony said, “please locate Harry.” He wanted to put everyone’s mind at ease and assure them that Harry had gone to his room and not left the tower because then they could get on with the meeting and figure out how they were going to deal with Loki.

“Harry is on the ground floor, Sir” the computer animated voice of Jarvis informed them. For a moment no one knew what to say, all of them looking to one another, waiting for someone to react or to say anything. “Harry has now exited the building, Sir.”

“I’m going after him,” Steve said decisively, getting to his feet rather suddenly. If he left now then he would hopefully be able to catch Harry before he went too far. Loki might have been in London as far as they knew but that didn’t mean that Harry would be safe wandering the streets of New York. There was no telling who Loki had on his side this time if he had been able to coerce a friend of Harry’s to help him. Not to mention the fact that it was a strange city to Harry, he had no idea where he was going or what areas to avoid.

“Captain, you are letting your heart take president, the mission should come first,” Director Fury said sternly as Steve headed for the door, not bothering to look back. Nick wasn’t particularly surprised that the relationship the two men had struck had come back to bite them in the ass, but he was annoyed that it had done so as quickly as this. He frowned upon his Agents striking up relationships, though admittedly he had been curious about the combination of magic and science in these two but not to the point where he would let it interfere with their work in this way. Fury had underestimated how fast Steve would develop sentimentality towards Harry.

“Harry is the mission,” Steve returned somewhat snappishly without turning to look at the others or waiting for any further responses before leaving the room and heading for the lift. The other Avenger’s watched him go through the wall of glass, none of them knowing what to say. They weren’t accustomed to seeing emotional outbursts of this nature from Steve, it was something new and different for them all.

“Well that was nice and dramatic,” Tony said with a smile once Steve had gone, trying to break the tension that had been left behind when the two men had departed. No one wanted to point out how dangerous it was that Steve and Harry were already so close and no one dared to question the affect the serum might have had on Steve’s emotions, though they were all thinking about it, Nick Fury especially.

“If we are going to stop Loki from getting his hands on this sphere then Harry will need to be trained on how to fight him. If the worst happens and Harry falls into Loki’s hands, he needs to be able to resist him,” Fury said, ignoring Stark and his particular brand of humour. “Barton, perhaps you should do the honours.”

“What, why me?” Clint demanded, unhappy that he seemed to have drawn the short straw on this unwelcome task. He didn’t want to have to train anyone; fair enough, Harry had abilities but that didn’t mean that he could fight worth a damn. Clint cared very little for Harry’s boastings that he had been trained by the best in his world, it was a claim that meant nothing here.

“Because,” Fury began, “if you’re nice to him, perhaps he’ll change your hair back,” Fury said and although he was trying to keep it in check they could all hear the amusement in his tone. Clint scowled at Fury, narrowing his eyes, but said nothing, folding his arms across his chest in a clear huff.

“Fine,” he grumbled, never one to defy orders, even one’s he didn’t like or didn’t agree with. If this was what Director Fury wanted him to do then he would do it; he could certainly see the benefits of having his hair turned back to its original colour.

“Is he really going to be able to help us?” Natasha asked sceptically. “He seems more of a liability.” One day with them and Harry had already caused Steve to walk out on the team, in her mind the new team member that they were supposed to be protecting was more of a loose cannon than an asset.

“I’m inclined to agree with Natasha,” Bruce said a little sadly. “As talented as he seems to be and as extraordinary as his abilities are, he is the key to Loki getting hold of this sphere and the power that it holds. We can’t allow the two of them to get too close to each other, is it wise to have him helping us?”

“Loki will not stop until he has what he wants,” Thor stated with a frown, knowing his brother well enough to be confident in this judgement. To him, Harry was so little and even though he too had been impressed with the young man’s rather unique skills, he knew that it would not be enough against his little brother, not when he wanted something so badly.

“Then we protect him,” Tony said with a shrug. He had grown fond of the young man already and he wasn’t about to let him fall into the hands of Loki. In truth, Tony didn’t understand what all the fuss was about. 

“We should find out more about this sphere, whatever it’s origins are. We should find out what would need to be done to open it, so that we can prevent it from happening,” Bruce said, mulling things over. The more they found out the better in his mind, because at least if they knew what they were dealing with then they could be better prepared.

“I will return to Asgard and find out what I can,” Thor said, his booming voice still sounding confident despite the situation.

“Thor, talk to Jane, she might be able to help,” Fury suggested and Thor nodded, looking less sure about this plan but agreeing regardless because Nick was right, Jane would be able to help. “I have my best agents working on this but for now find out what you can about the sphere and train Harry because Loki is coming for him.”

\--------------------------x

Harry had not taken the time to realise that he had no idea where he was going when he had made the decision to leave Avengers Tower and that was why he was now wandering aimlessly around New York City looking for some kind of shopping centre or mens clothing store. However, he wasn’t getting anywhere fast, though in truth the walk itself was enough just to calm him down a little. He didn’t want to be angry at any of the Avengers, not even Steve.

Half an hour later and Harry was nowhere close to finding what he wanted. He was hot and sweaty, the heat of the early August sun beating down on him and by this point he was fairly fed up with all the hustle and bustle. New York was busy, lots of people milling around, knocking into him, not even looking where they were going. To top it off he had the feeling that he was being watched, it was a sensation that had been with him for the last fifteen minutes or so, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

He was fairly sure that he was being followed, which didn’t bode well considering the fact that he was fairly certain he was now lost. His amazing Auror instincts were failing him, he was in an unfamiliar city and he had left the only place where he knew where he was. He could see the top of Avenger Tower, so he was halfway sure that he could navigate his way back, he just didn’t want to go back, not yet.

Lost in his thoughts, preoccupied with what had happened in the meeting that morning,  Harry barely had time to stop himself colliding with someone as they stepped right in front of him. “Sorry,” Harry went to say, glancing up to look at the person he had nearly barrelled his way into.

The man in question was grinning broadly at him, he had a light brown stubble across his jaw and pale green eyes that swept over Harry rather appreciatively. When Harry took a moment to fully observe this man, he realised that he seemed to be wearing some rather mismatched clothing. The fluorescent blue trousers combined with the neon yellow t-shirt that had a black mesh vest top over it gave away that this person didn’t exactly belong in the muggle world. The shoes were the best piece of clothing in Harry’s mind, they seemed to be platform trainers of some description, it was a miracle that the man could walk at all. They made him tower over Harry though. 

“Can I help you?” Harry asked, fearing that this man was a wizard; he certainly looked like a few that Harry had seen trying to blend, unsuccessfully, into the muggle world. The last thing he needed was to be recognized here, it was something that had never occurred to him. Sure he was famous in England but he hadn’t thought that that would be the case in America too. 

“You’re… Harry Potter,” the man said, speaking his name in a whisper of excitement. In fact the man seemed so overly jubilant about meeting him that he seemed to be having trouble breathing. Harry was fearful that the older gentleman might pass out at any moment due to the fact he was almost hyperventilating.

“I’m sorry, do I know you?” Harry asked; he had been worried that this might happen, though he had thought it very unlikely. He knew that America had its own wizarding population, their own version of Diagon Alley and Hogwarts but he hadn’t been expecting to run into them in the middle of New York. Though considering how heavily the wizarding world was based in London, Harry realised how stupid he had been to think that New York wouldn’t be the same. 

“No, of course not but I know you,” the man said, hopping from foot to foot in excitement as he turned to beckon someone else over. When Harry turned to see who this was he noticed three other men, all of them dressed in similar attire to the first man. An easy feeling settled in Harry’s gut, there was something that just didn’t feel right about this, his guard immediately up. 

“Of course you do,” Harry said with a sigh. He had never cared to find out how much the other countries knew about the war he had fought back home or how far his fame had spread across the world. Harry had never seen the need to travel before, far too engrossed in his work to take holidays and such. He realised now that this was an oversight and something he should have looked into before coming here. 

By this point the first man’s three friends had joined him, all of them looking just as excited as the first. They were starting to draw attention to themselves with their excited squealing and exclamations of, “I can’t believe it’s Harry Potter!” 

All four men were young-ish, in their late twenties or early thirties. None of them really knew how to dress to blend into muggle society but then again, in the middle of New York, it just seemed like an odd fashion statement. None of them had their wands drawn but Harry had been trained to notice things and he knew that each man had them stowed in the waistbands of their trousers, probably for easy access. 

“Trying to keep a low profile here,” Harry tried to tell them, however it was to no avail, none of them actually seemed to be listening to what he was trying to say. Instead they were flapping parchment and quills in his face, trying to get him to sign them. It was a little overwhelming and entirely confusing to have so much shoved in his face at the one time. Harry was starting to feel a little disorientated, which he realised was probably the point. 

Holding his hands up in refusal, Harry was shaking his head, trying to explain that he didn’t do autographs. He needed to get out of the situation, he knew they were trying to confuse and disorientate him more, he just didn’t know for what purpose and Harry honestly didn’t want to find out.  However the four wizards were relentless, wanting to take photographs too, they seemed to have some form of muggle disposal cameras. Harry wasn’t sure how well they would work when combined with magic but he didn’t want to take the chance.

The four wizards were all talking a mile a minute and Harry was struggling to keep up with what they were saying. He was hugely shocked when one of them put an arm over his shoulders while a second snapped a photograph; the flash of which blinded him momentarily. His ears pricked up rather suddenly when he heard mention of brunch and the four wizards tried to usher him along the street.

“No,” Harry tried to say, alarm bells ringing in his mind as he starting to put up some resistance against them taking him anywhere. However it was four against one and he really didn’t stand a chance, not even with all of his training. “I really can’t,” Harry tried to insist but the four poorly dressed wizards were really not paying any attention, all of them too excited to be seeing Harry Potter to actually listen to anything he had to say.

“We’ll have lunch,” the wizard that had first approached him said, “We can show you round the city, it’ll be great,” he rambled, speaking so fast that Harry only just managed to catch what he was saying. “I can’t believe I’ve met the actual Harry Potter, it is such an honour!”

“I can’t,” Harry said again, digging his heels in. He didn’t want to use magic and cause a scene. These people were fairly innocent as far as he could tell, all they were guilty of was over enthusiasm and Harry didn’t think that they deserved to be cursed because of this. He was far too used to people acting like this back home for it to phase him much here.

“We know this great little café,” he kept on, insistent that Harry needed to come and eat with them. It didn’t seem to matter how much he protested, they weren’t listening to him and aside from using magic and causing a scene in front of a lot of muggles, which was likely to be frowned upon by the wizarding authorities, there wasn’t much he could do about it.

“Let me go,” Harry insisted, struggling to pull himself free from where he had been grabbed. One wizard still had an arm around his shoulder, another had hold of his arm, the other two were just surrounding him as he was dragged along the street. “Let me go,” Harry said again, this time a little louder than the first. He had no leverage to pull his arms away from these men, his legs to busy holding him upright as he was pulled along to kick out at them. The best hope he had was to cause a scene that wouldn’t get him into trouble with the American Ministry for Magic. 

“No, no, don’t be like that, we just want lunch,” one of the wizards who wasn’t holding on to him said, though his tone wasn’t entirely innocent and he added a somewhat salacious wink in his direction to top it off. The tone of his voice made Harry feel physically sick at the thought of the ulterior motives of these four men. He was starting to realise that even though they might very well have been a little starstruck by him, they still wanted something from him, just like everyone else.

“We heard you like to be shared,” the fourth man said in a whisper with a little laugh, “ever been shared between four?” he asked and copped a feel of Harry’s behind as he said this, making Harry tense up as the hand cupped his arse cheek.

“Don’t you touch me again!” Harry snapped, redoubling his efforts to get away from these four wizards. He had been aware that the Prophet and other various publications had been very keen to report on his promiscuous activities over the years,  as well as interview anyone that he had slept with. They had paid a lot of money for those kind of interviews, Harry had no idea that these publications had been spread so far across the world.

For the first time in his life he felt ashamed of himself for not having cared, for not having given it more than a few seconds thought. He had barreled through his life, dangerous mission after dangerous mission, filling his down time with bedding men and women in an attempt to make himself feel alive and connected but all it had got him was a promiscuous reputation and a whole world of trouble.  

“Don’t be like that,” the first wizard said, “We’ll make sure that you have a good time!”  
By this point, with all of Harry’s insistence that he be released, they were starting to draw attention to themselves. People around them were starting to stare and to point as Harry struggled against the hold that the four wizards had on him. It was perhaps fortunate that the surrounding muggles had had the sense to alert the authorities to what was going on.

Harry breathed a sigh of relief when he saw two uniformed officers heading in their direction, watching suspiciously as Harry struggled against the four men that were attempting to take him away. 

\---------------------------x

Steve had been riding around on his motorcycle, minus the shield of course because he didn’t want to draw attention to himself, he thought it might be rather counter productive to finding Harry if he was swarmed by Avenger’s fans. The bike was also faster than walking and he could cover more ground with it too, weaving in and out of the traffic, being careful to scan the crowd and not cause an accident.

He had been listening into the police scanner, just in case he could get any clues that way. If Harry was in any kind of trouble he thought that this was the first place to hear about it. There were NYPD officers all over the city, if something was happening one of them was likely to see something and report it on his radio.

As it happened, when something did come through on the scanner he was only three blocks away, a complete stroke of luck. He was able to turn his bike around, only just avoiding a collision with a rather grumpy yellow cab driver, and head straight there. He arrived just in time to see two police officers trying to defuse the situation but when Steve saw that Harry was in the very middle of this, being manhandled by four strangely dressed men he lost it.

Abandoning his bike on the side of the street in a slight panic, Steve strode towards the group that was causing the commotion, his fists clenched as he saw harry struggling to tear himself away from them. The first Avenger was looking utterly menacing as he literally tore Harry from the men who were still holding on to him. Harry himself looked relieved to see the larger man and slumped into his arms the moment they were a few steps away from the group.

“What happened?” Steve asked, looking down at Harry in concern, eyes scanning over him, searching for injuries. “Are you hurt?” he asked but Harry shook his head; he was a little shaken by what had happened but he wasn’t hurt. He had not been expecting for people to recognize him here, he had been naive to think that his fame had not stretched this far. “Are they in league with Loki?” Steve asked in a whisper, glancing over to the four strangely dressed men suspiciously.

“No,” Harry said shaking his head, his thoughts a jumbled mess. “They know me, from what I did in my world,” he explained softly so that no one else could over hear. “What they wanted from me had nothing to do with Loki or the sphere.”

“It didn’t?” Steve asked looking a little surprised at this. Harry shook his head, glad that the wizards hadn’t been that subtle, or had simply underestimated the muggles of the City. Either way he was back in Steve’s arms, which he found was exactly where he wanted to be.

Steve frowned at Harry’s failure to elaborate further but knowing that this wasn’t the time or the place to go into it. He wasn’t sure what had happened or how these strange men had known Harry but he wouldn’t push for answers that Harry clearly wasn’t ready to give him. He owed Harry that at least after lying to him, plus he hoped that Harry would come to trust him in time and simply be able to confide in him.

“Let’s get you back,” Steve said, giving the policemen a nod of thanks. No crime had been committed apart from some ruckus, grabbing a man was not a crime, nothing else could be proven, and therefore the four wizards would not be arrested. It was a shame really and Steve would have gladly beat each one to a bloody pulp but he restrained himself, though only just.

Harry, however, shook his head. “I need clothes,” he explained when Steve looked at him questioningly; he wasn’t going to let a few stupid wizards send him running for the hills. Besides, with the first  Avenger with him now, he thought it was unlikely that anyone else would try anything. “It’s why I left the tower, I was trying to find some clothes shops; I can’t just keep wearing yours.”

“We can’t really carry much shopping on the back of the bike,” Steve said as he motioned towards where he had abandoned his motor cycle.

“I have a few more tricks up my sleeve yet, Captain,” Harry said with a small smile, still leaning quite heavily on the larger man.

“Oh, I bet you do,” Steve said as they reached the bike and he threw one leg over it, settling himself into the seat. Harry, however, hesitated slightly. a little unsure of what to do, at least not without it ending up being rather intimate.

“I’ve never…” he began but Steve just smiled at him. Neither of them were paying any attention to the four wizards that were still being talked at by the two police officers. Not that they four men were listening, far too busy glaring at Harry and the mysterious man, who they were sure they recognized from somewhere. 

“It’s alright, just hold on to me and you’ll be fine,” Steve said as Harry, somewhat nervously, climbed on to the back of the bike, straddling Steve from behind as he did so. With a little uncertainly, Harry placed his hands on Steve’s hips but the larger man wasn’t having any of it, taking the other man’s hands and joining them together in front of him so that Harry’s arms were encircling his waist.

“Is this okay?” Harry asked nervously, painfully aware of his groin pressed close to the other man’s rear.

Steve couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. “Sex on the first night we meet isn’t a problem, yet any form of close intimacy and you’re nervous?” he asked turning so he could almost see Harry’s face, “You, Mr Potter, are an enigma.”

“Well as long as I’m not boring,” Harry said with slight amusement, resting his chin on Steve’s shoulder and nuzzling into his neck. He didn’t spare a moment to look back at the four men, he didn’t want to think about them any more. That was part of his life he was more than happy to leave behind, his fame had always been more trouble than it was worth. 

“I’m pretty sure that you could never be boring, Harry,” Steve said as he started the engine and they were off, the smaller man clinging on for dear life. Broomsticks were one thing but motor cycles were something else altogether.

\-----------------------------------x

It was clear that the two men had been researching for a while, they had remained in the meeting room on floor thirteen, not wanting to get distracted by anything. Numerous coffee mugs were littered across the table, all of them Tony’s; Bruce stuck to earl grey tea with honey, not wanting the caffeine to aggravate his other side. He wanted to eliminate the chance of incidents if he could help it. 

“I think Harry knows more about this than he’s letting on,” Bruce said, removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes in frustration.

Neither of them felt as if they were getting very far. They had all the information that S.H.I.E.L.D had acquired about the sphere but neither of the two genius’ could find out much more about it. They couldn’t figure out how it worked or how to get the power out once it had been duplicated and stored inside.

“He seems to have a lot of rules holding him back from wherever he’s come from,” Tony said as he flicked through some of the files for what felt like the hundredth time. By this point he had memorized it word for word but couldn’t help but feel as if he was somehow missing something and therefore he kept going back to it.

“He is the only one of us who has seen the sphere, wherever he’s from, whatever he is, he has the information we need or can at least gain access to it,” Bruce said, he had clearly been thinking things over for a while now.

Unable to make ends or tails of the information both scientists were glad when Jarvis announced the return of Harry and Steve to Avenger’s tower. There was no emergency call or suggestions for a doctor to be called so both Bruce and Tony took that to mean no one had been harmed or injured in anyway.

“We should go and see them,” Tony suggested, thinking that Clint would most likely be heading in the direction of Steve and Harry to whisk the latter off to start his training as soon as possible. “I’d quite like to see him in action.”

“I’d quite like to see Clint trying to convince Harry to turn his hair back,” Bruce said with amusement. He too was curious about the young man’s abilities and he was keen to watch him fight but he could also see the enjoyment factor to watching the two stubborn men duel it out over hair dye.

\--------------------------------x

Harry, with his shopping shrunk down and in his pocket, and Steve headed straight up to the communal kitchen, dining area; they had been so busy shopping that they had failed to grab anything to eat. They had both skipped breakfast that morning and as a result the two of them were famished.

However their plans of getting food were put on hold when the moment they stepped out of the lift they were ambushed by the rest of the Avenger’s who had all been notified by Jarvis of their return. Such a mass of voices accosted them that neither of them could make out what was being said or by whom.

Harry had already asked Steve not to say anything about the four men that had tried to take him. After all the bolstering that he could take care of himself, Harry really didn’t want Clint or Natasha, or in fact any of them, to think less of him.

“Harry, come with me, we’re going to start your training,” Clint said bluntly when the rest of the noise had died down.

“Can’t I eat first?” Harry asked with a tired sigh. He didn’t want to get into the habit of skipping meals too frequently. Because of what the Dursley’s had done he had never been a big eater, food was more of an inconvenience that he had to put his life on hold for, however he knew that he needed it to be strong.

“We both skipped breakfast this morning,” Steve chimed in when it appeared that Clint might deny Harry this request. Steve was feeling rather protective of the young man, especially after what had happened earlier, and he wasn’t going to see him go without food, especially not before one of Clint’s rigorous training sessions. He had trained with the archer before and Clint certainly liked to push himself, for hours at a time, without rest. Harry would need to eat before they started.

“Fine,” Clint said unhappily and watched as Harry and Steve moved to the kitchen area and began to make some kind of pasta dish together. Tony and Bruce settled themselves at the stools at the counter, watching the two of them closely. Natasha sat at the dining table, Clint standing beside her, arms folded over his chest looking disapproving.

One thing was sure and that was that Harry knew his way around the kitchen. He seemed very natural as he helped prepare some chicken and throw it into a pan to cook while Steve made a cheese sauce. The two of them moved fluidly around the kitchen, rarely making contact, just simply working together silently, speaking only to pass things to one another.

“It’s like something from the fucking Walton’s,” Clint said, sharing a small window into his life before he had come to be an Avenger. He rarely shared anything about his life and this slip of the tongue gave a rare insight that none of them, not even Natasha, had experienced before.  
None of them passed comment about this, not wanting to make a big deal out of something that had passed so easily between them. Not even Tony took the rare opportunity to tease Clint about it, whereas in any other circumstances he might have done.

“You guys hungry?” Harry asked the gathered group, “We made enough for everyone.”

“Where did you learn to cook?” Bruce asked as everyone nodded, the smell of the food making them all feel rather hungry. Steve went to fetch the bowls and cutlery to place them on the table while Harry mixed the sauce, chicken and pasta together in a large dish ready to be served.

“My Aunt and Uncle forced me to learn,” Harry said softly. His tone wasn’t saddened or withdrawn at all, despite what they had done to him it had been something that Harry had come to accept over the years, he had forgiven them and moved on with his life. He was not the eleven year old boy they beat and abused any more. He was now a celebrated war hero, broken beyond anything that the Dursley’s could have done to him.

“I thought you said you didn’t have any family,” Clint said, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“I don’t,” Harry said simply, as, with a wave of his hand and a muttered incantation, the bowls Steve was carrying flew out of his hands and landed neatly on the table, cutlery perfectly placed beside them for each avenger to sit. Glasses, a jug of iced water from the fridge and the bowl of pasta also landed neatly on the table after a little magical assistance from Harry, who also set the dirty dishes to start washing themselves. This was all much to the amazement of Bruce, who was watching, open mouthed in awe.

“But you just said…” Clint tried to say but was swiftly cut off by a glare from Steve that clearly said not to got here. They were all curious about Harry but he would open up when he was ready to do so. It wasn’t as if they all knew everything there was to know about each other. 

“Let’s just eat,” Steve suggested, moving to sit down as Bruce and Tony did the same, “then you can catch us up on what happened while we were gone.” Clint was the last one to take a seat with the rest of them, waiting for Harry to settle himself in the seat next to Steve before sitting on Natasha’s other side. He wasn’t going to be able to trust Harry easily but he was rather looking forward to putting the young man through his paces in training and seeing just what he was capable of. 

“Is Thor not joining us?” Harry asked as the others started to serve themselves, watching as Clint tucked into the meal with gusto, feeling rather smug that the archer liked his cooking even if he disliked everything else about him. 

“He's gone to back to Asgard,” Bruce explained as he was passed the large bowl of pasta and began to serve himself, “to see what he can find out about the sphere.” 

“Have you had any luck on that front?” Harry asked, looking around as those that had helped themselves began to eat. He felt a little guilty for leaving when everyone else had clearly been working, however he had needed to cool down a little. Also it wasn't as if he hadn't achieved anything, he had at least got some clothes that were just his and he and Steve had had a chance to talk. 

The two of them had cleared the air, Harry could understand what it was that Steve had done and why, he didn't begrudge him especially for lying considering just how much he was hiding from Steve about what he was and where he had come from. They had both come to conclusion that they wanted to try with whatever they had and make things work. 

“We were hoping that you might be able to help with that,” Bruce said honestly, “After all you are the only one of us who has seen this sphere, we were hoping we might be able to examine it.” 

Harry look dubious, not thinking that it was a great idea to take the sphere out of the Ministry. He also didn't think that it was a great idea to take Bruce, or in fact any of the Avengers, into the Ministry either. He was going to have to talk to Kingsley sooner rather than later it seemed. “We'll see,” he said, wondering if Fury would be able to get the Minister for Magic here without raising too many questions with the others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? Leave a review and let me know. I love the reviews I get, they make stressful weeks at work totally worth it!


	7. Proving himself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry and Steve get a little closer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please enjoy!

All the Avengers, bar Thor of course as he had left to talk to Jane and see what he could find out on Asgard, had gathered on level fifty-five of Avengers tower, where there was the Hulk-proof training room that Tony had installed for them all to use. He had wanted Bruce to feel comfortable to transform, knowing that he couldn’t cause any lasting damage the building he was in without feeling too contained. Just below them on level fifty-four was the simulation room, which had also been made Hulk proof; however, before Clint put Harry in that, he wanted to see what the young man could do. 

After they had finished lunch Harry had gone to Steve’s room’s to put his new clothes away and change into some of them, thinking that if he was going to be put through his paces in training then he needed something that would fit him properly and was his. Not that he minded wearing Steve’s clothes but he needed to feel as if he was here of his own fruition and not just as Captain America’s plaything. 

Originally he had thought that it might be best to just remain in the guest suite but Steve had been insistent that Harry stay with him. Steve knew how much the other man hated to be alone and he could relate to this, in that way they had both agreed that they could assist each other. It might have been rather early in their relationship but sleeping in the same bed seemed to be the right step to take for them. It wasn’t like they spent a lot of time in their personal quarters anyway.

Harry was now eager to get started, he was desperate to prove himself to his fellow team members. He’d been here one day and hadn’t made much of an impression as of yet; well, he had, but only on Steve. His arrival here might not have been what everyone wanted but he was going to show them that he didn’t need to depend on them to protect him. He was going to show them that he could be a valuable member of the team. 

It was rather refreshing for Harry, seeing as he had spent his life having the majority of people just assuming that he could do whatever it was he had to do and required no proof that he could. Since he was eleven this had been the case; so to finally have someone demand that he prove himself able to do the job he had come here to do was filling Harry with excited anticipation. 

“I’m warning you, I’m not going easy on you,” Clint warned as he stretched out, flexing his impressive muscles, preparing himself for what was to come. He honestly didn’t think that Harry was going to be able to take him in a fight, he was fairly confident in his abilities and the fact that he was going to be stronger. Harry’s extra abilities were nothing but small, though admittedly impressive, party tricks; when it came down to it, Clint was sure that Harry would amount to nothing. 

“I wouldn’t expect you to, Sonic,” Harry said with a smile as he too stretched out. He had been trained by Kingsley Shacklebolt himself; as an Auror he needed to be well versed in all methods of fighting, both muggle and magical. Hand to hand combat was essential because when all else was lost when on the verge of losing everything the bad guys tended to resort to muggle brawling in a ditch attempt to escape incarceration in Azkaban. 

Harry had mastered the art of combining his magic with muggle fighting techniques. Perhaps the only thing that he couldn’t use were guns, they tended to act rather badly when magic got involved, though no one could figure out exactly why. Something about the way they were made and their purpose meant that the combination of guns and magic tended to end catastrophically. 

“I’m going to propose something to you,” Clint said, his tone one of deadly seriousness. Harry, however, was in a good mood and knowing that he had an audience, he was going to play to it a little. 

“Sorry, Sonic, I just don’t feel that way about you, though it was a sweet thought,” Harry said with a wink and he heard Tony snort in amusement. Harry didn’t need to look at the others to know that Tony and Bruce would be smiling in amusement; Steve simply stood with his arms crossed, watching them intently, trying not to be amused by Harry’s cheek. 

“You and me, hand to hand,” Clint said, ignoring Harry’s response, not realising that he was just giving Harry more ammunition to fuel his fire. 

“Again, sounding a little too sexual for me. I think you need to get laid, Sonic,” Harry said, smiling broadly at the archer who was looking less and less amused with each sexual innuendo Harry spouted. 

“If I win you turn my hair back,” Clint pressed on, trying his very best not to rise to the bait that Harry was presenting. He knew what the other man was doing and he had to try his very best not to react because otherwise he wasn’t going to win and get his normal hair colour back. 

“And what do I get when I win?” Harry asked confidently. He knew that Clint was no match for him, if it was simply hand to hand then Clint would have won without question but none of the Avenger’s knew what he could do with his magic. With this advantage, Harry was confident that he was going to win. 

“My respect,” Clint said, knowing for a fact that Harry was never going to win against him. The young man had a few party tricks, nothing more and he was going to put Harry down a peg or two while getting his regular hair back. Promising respect if Harry actually won was nothing because he truly would respect him if he could do it. 

Harry looked pensive for a moment, thinking things over, wanting to make sure that it was a fair trade, just in case he did lose, which he didn’t think was very likely. “Alright,” he concluded with a wide smile on his face. “But if I win then you have to keep the hair that colour for the next year.” 

“Deal,” Clint said, but he was already moving, lunging towards Harry in a hope to catch the other man off guard. Harry instinctively swung out a leg in his direction but Clint just ducked, pressed his hands to the floor and push himself off in a different direction, easily avoiding the smaller man’s attack.

“You’re fast,” Harry said as the two of them began to circle one another. “Are you that fast in bed too?” he asked as Clint made another move, stepping forward and bringing his leg up, aiming to kick Harry in the side. 

Harry was expecting it though, and caught Clint’s leg, twisting it and pushing him away, forcing Clint to the floor. Hawkeye rolled, regaining himself fairly quickly, annoyed that none of his blows had landed yet. Harry was using his smaller size as an advantage, he knew that if it came to brute strength then Clint was going to win; however, being smaller had its benefits. Harry was faster and could move with more fluidity than Clint could manage and he had learnt how to use this to his advantage. 

Still on the floor, Clint swung his leg round in an attempt to trip Harry, but the smaller man saw it coming and jumped to avoid it. “Come on, you can do better than that,” Harry said, mocking the larger man. Clint had gone past talking at this point though, far too annoyed that the smaller man was getting the better of him. He really wanted his hair back to it’s original colour. 

Hawkeye, taking the split second where Harry had just landed from his jump to pounce, wrapped his arms around Harry’s smaller waist, the two of them face to face. His aim had been to pick the smaller man up and throw him to the ground, but Harry was ready for him. With a momentarily smug expression, and a muttered incantation to make it a little easier, Harry wrapped his arms around Clint’s upper body and threw them both backwards. 

Harry landed on this back, but had managed to throw Clint over his head, using his legs as leverage underneath the larger man so that Clint was on the ground as well, the levitation charm that Harry had used giving the wizard full control over the larger man’s body. Clint had not been expecting this and fallen hard on his back, actually finding himself a little winded by the sudden impact. 

Taking advantage of Hawkeye’s momentary hesitation, Harry flipped himself back over the top of Clint, so that he was straddling the larger man. “Give up?” Harry asked, breathing heavily, but, despite his exhaustion, he had determination in his eyes that told Clint that he had a lot of fight left in him. 

“Not a chance,” Clint growled, bucking his hips and throwing Harry from him. The smaller man rolled nimbly around to land on all fours and focused on Clint, who was also crouched upon the ground, biding his time until he decided on, and found the perfect moment for, his next move. 

“He’s flexible and strong,” Tony said sounding actually impressed. “I can see how he won you over, Cap,” he added with a wink in Steve’s direction. There was no mistaking the salacious expression that was on the billionaire’s face, and Steve just shot him an annoyed look before going back to watching the fight, where Harry and Clint were both focused entirely on each other.

They both moved at the same time, both of them jumping to their feet and charging. Harry, at the last minute, skidded to the floor, spinning himself and using his legs to trip Clint, sending the larger man to the floor. Clint, however, flipped himself around, landing a kick to Harry’s ribs with his foot before either of them could get to their feet. 

Harry let out a grunt at the unexpected blow, but rolled himself so that he was out of reach of Clint’s feet, trying to push himself up but feeling a little winded. Clint was already on his feet, waiting for Harry by the time the small man managed to right himself. The archer was grinning smugly but Harry wasn’t going to let the other man get away that easily. 

“Colloshoo,” Harry muttered, as he came forward, adhering Clint’s shoes to the ground. The archer looked momentarily confused when he suddenly couldn’t move his feet at all but when Harry landed the first blow to his jaw he brought up his arms and began to block Harry’s attacks, landing his own that Harry attempted to block in turn. Harry wasn’t sure how he had managed it but Clint’s nose was now spurting blood and looked to be broken. 

Breaking the spell on Clint’s shoes with a whispered finite incantatem, Harry then muttered, “everte statum,” throwing his hands out towards Clint, throwing him backwards as if he had been round house kicked in the stomach by Thor. Hawkeye flew backwards and collided with the far wall. The archer fell forward, landing on his front with a low, pained groan. 

It was Harry’s turn to look smug as Clint dragged himself back to his feet, actually having to use the wall for support a little. “Not sure what that was, but it wasn’t hand-to-hand,” Clint grumbled, glaring at the smaller man.

“I used my hands, they just didn’t touch you,” Harry returned with a shrug. He felt hugely accomplished with the fact that he had managed to win a fight against Clint, not that Clint wanted for the fight to be over; the archer was staggering back to the middle of the room, a little worse for wear but seemingly wanting to keep going. 

“Enough,” Steve said when Clint went to charge Harry again. “Clint you’re bleeding, badly, you need to get that fixed before you do anything else. Harry’s won, just stop.” Captain America came to stand between the two of them looking stern, thinking that if, given the choice, the two of them were stubborn enough to keep at it for the rest of the day. It didn’t seem to matter how badly they got hurt, neither of them were going to admit defeat. 

“I can fix that,” Harry said to Clint, motioning to his nose. “I honestly never meant to hit you that hard, sorry.” 

“You’re apologising?” Clint asked in amazement, it wasn’t something that he had been expecting from the smaller man; if anything, he had expected for Harry to be a little smug about the fact that he had broken his nose, not for him to be apologetic. 

“Yes,” Harry said softly. “My intent was not to do you any serious damage, I was holding back so that I didn’t,” he explained with a sigh as he stepped around Steve to examine Clint’s nose, the others looking at him with wide, amazed eyes. “This might sting a little,” he warned and Clint nodded his understanding. “Episkey,” he said and with a crack the nose repaired itself. 

“Wow,” Tony said with a low whistle, as Clint reached up to confirm that his nose really was no longer broken, “now that was impressive.” 

“You were holding back?” Steve asked, ignoring Tony completely, he was far too focused on the fact that Harry had been holding back in the fight. Hand to hand skills that Harry had demonstrated were astounding for his size, the fact that he hadn’t been fighting his best was beyond comprehension and also, to Clint, a little insulting. 

Harry nodded, looking a little sad. “I can overwhelm your entire body with unimaginable pain with a single word, kill you with two,” he explained, knowing he was stretching the limits of the statute of secrecy, but wanting them to really understand his strength. “Where I come from, if there is enough power and emotion behind the words when they’re spoken then it’s possible.” 

Kingsley had explained that the Avengers were somewhat used to the extraordinary. Magic wasn’t something that would shock them after everything they had seen and Kingsley had explained that Fury already knew everything about the wizarding world. The Avenger’s might not have known all the details but they weren’t exactly normal muggles. If Kingsley hadn’t wanted him to use his magic, he wouldn’t have given him the bracelets. 

“I don’t believe you,” Clint said, “one word can’t cause unimaginable pain.” He didn’t care how impressed he was with what Harry had just done, he didn’t believe that what Harry had said was possible. Death was not possible by simply uttering two words, regardless how much power and emotion was behind those words. 

“If you’re willing I can show you,” Harry said meeting Clint’s eyes with a slight sadness, not wanting to do it but needing to show them what he was capable of. However, he wouldn’t do it if Clint wasn’t willing, he never wanted to maliciously inflict that kind of pain on anyone again. “But it will hurt beyond anything you have felt before, like fire encompassing your entire body, burning you inside and out; it is far from pleasant, Clint, I need you to understand that before I do it.” 

“Bullshit,” Clint said with a snort of disbelief. “Prove it.” 

Harry sighed; he hadn’t wanted to do this, had been hoping that Clint wouldn’t ask him to, but he needed to show them that he wasn’t weak or a liar. If this is what it would take to show them that, then he was going to do it. He was far too used to gathering up the anger and hatred required to cast the cruciatus curse but that didn’t mean he liked to do it. 

“Prepare yourself,” Harry warned, “this is going to hurt.” Everyone was watching with anticipation as Harry pushed Steve backwards so that he wouldn’t get in the way or accidently get hurt. This wasn’t a side of him, Harry wanted Steve to see but he was so desperate to prove himself to them all that he was willing to do almost anything. “Crucio,” Harry said, his voice barely a whisper, holding his hand out towards Clint. 

The moment that the words had left Harry’s lips, Clint’s body seized up, falling to the floor, twitching and convulsing, a scream tearing from his throat like nothing any of them had heard before. Harry lifted the curse as quickly as he could, just a second later and the scream died but Clint remained on the ground, breathing heavy, muscles twitching. There were tears in Harry’s eyes as he turned away from what he had done, unable to look at Clint as he recovered from the spell. 

As Harry turned away he found himself face to face with Steve, who encircled his arms around the smaller man and held him. Captain America watched on as Natasha went to see if Clint was alright. Tony and Bruce stood back, looking at Harry with a combination of awe and fear. 

“Are you alright?” Steve asked as he watched Natasha help Clint sit up. Hawkeye’s legs were still a little wobbly so he wasn’t about to risk getting to his feet just yet, it was a miracle that he had managed to sit up at all. 

“Well he wasn’t kidding,” Clint said firmly, “or exaggerating. Find a chance to use that on Loki and I’ll consider us even,” he added, looking passed the rest of them to where Harry was standing, being held close to Steve.

“The fact that you want me to do that shows just how much you must hate him,” Harry said sadly. He hated using that curse, Clint had only been under it for a few seconds and yet he seemed desperate for it to be inflicted on another. “I remember how agonising it was, I thought that it would never end, if felt like hours until the pain stopped.” 

“Someone cast that on you?” Steve asked, horrified. Harry hadn’t had much of a chance to elaborate on his past and it seemed that there was a lot that he simply couldn’t tell them because of the laws in whatever world he came from. However, this brief glimpse into what Harry had been through was shocking enough and Steve had a feeling that that wasn’t the worst of it either. 

“Yes, a few times… it doesn’t affect me any more though,” Harry said with a shrug, finding it rather painful just to talk about this. Ever since he had died in the forbidden forest and come back when he was seventeen, none of the unforgivables had worked on him. Granted he hadn’t been hit with the killing curse again but Harry really wasn’t keen to test the theory. 

“Why doesn’t it affect you any more?” Bruce asked curiously. He wanted to know more about the extraordinary young man because it seemed that he was rather unique, even by his world’s standards. 

“Because I died,” Harry said with a shrug. “I told you, I’m very… special where I come from, I’m their chosen one, their saviour and Merlin, I wish they didn’t call me either of those things but they do. I can take care of myself, don’t doubt that.” 

“I don’t think any of us are going to doubt that again after today,” Tony said, smiling at the young man. He was truly impressed with what he had seen from Harry today and he was in no doubt that Harry really did belong as one of them. 

“I think that that is enough training for one day,” Steve said decisively to the group before turning to Harry. “Can we talk?” he asked, and Harry just nodded his head and allowed for Steve to lead him towards the lift, one large muscled arm still holding him close. 

\-----------x

“Are we not going to your room?” Harry asked when he and Steve got into the lift and the larger man pressed the button for the fortieth floor. Harry had kind of been hoping that they would be going to Steve’s room for some privacy; Harry’s blood was already pumping, the adrenaline coursing through his veins making him really horny, and he needed to get it out of his system. 

“No, I think, after that, you need to relax a little,” Steve said, enjoying the fact that Harry was still leaning heavily on him. He was rather liking the sensitive side of Harry that he was seeing after the intense training session. Steve was thinking that, despite everything, it had been a good thing that it had happened the way that it had. Clint and Natasha would hopefully be able to accept Harry now and they would be able to work together to ensure Loki didn’t get the sphere rather than constantly challenging one another. 

“What did you have in mind, Captain?” Harry asked, turning to look up at Steve as the lift descended to the floor that had been selected. Harry was still a little unsure of what was on what floor so he had no idea what was in store for him. 

“Slightly less clothes,” Steve whispered softly, leaning his head down and capturing Harry’s lips in a sweet kiss as the lift came to a stop and the doors slid open and the unmistakable smell of chlorine hit them. 

“Hmm, slightly less clothes and a swimming pool, this sounds like a pretty good way to relax to me,” Harry said with a smile as their kiss broke. 

“There’s a hot tub and a sauna too,” Steve told him, “so I was thinking we could both relax a little while we talk. I really like being close to you, Harry.” Steve picked Harry up by the waist with one arm and carried him from the lift and towards the changing rooms. 

“I like being close to you too, really close,” Harry said, his chest pressed against Steve’s, his feet barely touching the ground. He was feeling a little breathless as Steve instructed Jarvis to seal off the floor, allowing them complete privacy. 

“Clothes off,” Steve instructed as he placed Harry back on his own two feet. The changing room was a little up-market compared to what most people would expect, with cushioned benches, heated floors and showers large enough for four. Not to mention the large array of products laid out on the countertops. 

“I like it when you take charge,” Harry whispered seductively as he pulled his t-shirt over his head and threw it to the floor. “Though I kind of miss the twenty questions just to get rid of our clothes.” 

“Then ask me a question,” Steve said as his hand ran up Harry’s exposed chest, tracing over the scars that he found there, ghosting over them, wondering how each one had come to be there, wishing that he had the patience to ask and to hear the answer. However, he didn’t, not this afternoon, he was already growing hard with the thoughts of what they were about to do, again it would have to wait for another time. 

“Why did you come after me today?” Harry asked, tugging at Steve’s white t-shirt. The larger man was a huge fan of white tops and beige trousers it seemed and the look suited him. Though Harry had to admit that he was rather looking forward to seeing him in uniform. 

“Because I didn’t want you to get hurt,” Steve admitted, hand reaching up to cup Harry’s cheek, forehead resting upon Harry’s. He had to gather his courage for the question he wanted to ask, he needed to know this but equally he didn’t want to scare Harry away. “Do you truly want me or is this just… fun?” 

“Steve…” Harry began, they had talked earlier this morning during their shopping trip, they had both decided that they wanted to try to make a relationship work but clearly Steve was a little insecure about it. He knew that Harry hadn’t been in a relationship since he was much younger and it concerned him that Harry might want nothing more than sex and a non committed relationship, or that he simply wasn’t ready for anything more serious. It wasn’t something that Steve could give him if that was the case. 

“Please, answer the question, Harry,” Steve pleaded with him, closing his eyes as he feared what the answer might be. If Harry couldn’t promise himself entirely to him and the relationship then it wasn’t going to last another night between them. Steve couldn’t explain it but his entire body wanted Harry, his mind screamed to be near him and protect him, he never wanted to be parted from him, which was all completely insane considering they’d only known each other since the day before. 

“I want this,” Harry said truthfully. “I want you,” he continued, speaking slowly and carefully, “I want it all with you,” he finished smashing his lips to Steve’s. In truth Harry wasn’t sure what he wanted but he knew he wanted Steve and he didn’t want it to just be a brief fling, in that sense he wasn’t lying at least. However, Harry knew that he wouldn’t stay in America forever, there was too much back home for him to stay here, but that wasn’t something they needed to talk about now. 

Steve pulled his t-shirt up and over his head, throwing it away from them before kissing Harry again. Hands roamed over bare chests, exploring and stroking, each taking a moment to tease at each others nipples, both men growing hard.

“Why are you so protective of me?” Harry asked sudden. “I saw the look in your eyes when those men were touching me, as if you might rip their heads off…” He truly wanted to know why it was that Steve wanted to protect him so badly. He wasn’t used to being protected, it was why it had jared on him so much when he had realised that Kingsley, who was supposed to be his friend, had sent him away to keep him safe. 

“I don’t know,” Steve said truthfully; the more he thought about it the less he could explain it. He honestly couldn’t say why he felt this way about the smaller man. “I’m not usually like this but you seem to bring it out in me.”

“Are you just following orders, Steve?” Harry asked, needing to know the answer to this. It would devastate him to know that the intensity between them was all because Steve was a soldier just following orders; he felt as though it would destroy him completely if that was the case. 

“No, this has nothing to do with Fury or the orders that he gave me,” Steve said with certainty. He knew that Fury was going to be his first stop tomorrow though because he had a suspicion that what he was feeling had something to do with the serum because it definitely wasn’t normal. Not everyone would care this deeply for another person after such a short space of time. 

Everyone else who had taken the serum had had their minds messed with, their perceptions of the world altered in some way. So far it had all been good things for Steve but perhaps it was the serum affecting his hormones and his emotions, making everything seem magnified in a way. It was something Steve needed to know but not now, it wasn’t as important as being with Harry in this moment, a moment that he wanted to treasure. 

“Do you want to kiss me as much as I want to kiss you right now?” Steve asked, thinking that every other question he wanted to ask was just too serious. He didn’t want to ruin the mood between them now, they were too close, too intimate, he didn’t want to risk anything that would destroy that, he just wanted to feel Harry writhe and squirm beneath him as he took him. 

“Yes,” Harry said breathlessly. “But first, let’s get rid of these,” he added, popping open the button on Steve’s trousers and pushing them down a little. Steve, however, caught his hands before Harry could push them down much further. 

“Slow,” Steve said. “I want to savor this,” he added, threading his fingers so that they linked perfectly with Harry’s, kissing him for all he was worth. After the wonderful treat Harry had given him that morning in the form of a blowjob that had made them late for the briefing, Steve wanted to return the favour, though he was extremely nervous considering he had never done it before. 

“You don’t have to savour it, I’m not going anywhere,” Harry said, worried that Steve thought he might vanish at any moment. He didn’t want for the older man to think that, he truly wasn’t going anywhere, at least not yet. 

“I want to savour you, Harry, every moment, every touch, every kiss,” Steve said, placing chaste kisses upon Harry’s lips every few words, releasing Harry’s hands to hold him close. The larger man reaching between them and pushing down Harry’s trousers, rather pleased that they had the elastic waistband. 

“Then savour me,” Harry said, his breath hitching in his throat a little. Steve began to kiss and nibble at Harry’s neck, working his way down the smaller man’s chest, eventually falling to his knees, tongue and teeth scraping over firm abs as he played with the waistband of Harry’s boxers until after a few moments of teasing he pushed them down. 

Steve wasted little time, his tongue grazing over the tip of Harry’s cock. The smaller man closed his eyes as sensations of pure pleasure washed over him, one hand gripping Steve’s shoulder, the other intertwining into his blond hair, trying not to tug too hard. 

Still a little nervous and spurred on only by the reactions that he was getting from Harry, Steve took the erection into his mouth fully, withdrawing only slightly before taking the whole thing once more. All the while, Harry moaned in ecstasy, a heat building in the pit of his stomach with somewhat alarming speed. When he almost couldn’t take anymore and he was on the verge of toppling over the edge, Steve pulled away, getting back to his feet. 

Quickly ridding himself of his own trousers and underwear, Steve scooped Harry up into his arms and headed for the showers, pressing several buttons until all four shower heads were on and running pleasantly warm water. On the way he had grabbed a bottle of lotion from the counter, the lube they had bought while shopping earlier in the day up in their bedroom. 

“I won’t last much longer,” Harry whined as Steve turned him to face the wall. The smaller man had to brace himself against the tiled surface as he heard the other man squirt some of the lotion onto his fingers. 

“You can come more than once,” Steve said softly as his hand ventured between firm globes, looking for Harry’s entrance, wanting to feel the tight, hot heat, to prepare the smaller man so that he would be ready to take him. 

“Merlin,” Harry gasped as he felt a single slick finger slide inside of him. Steve’s body encompassed him as the older man pushed the single digit in and out, twirling it around inside of him. Steve was growing in confidence the more Harry moaned and writhed, sliding in a second finger as he nibbled and sucked in the crook of Harry’s neck.

It might not have done much to Harry normally, but he was still so close to the edge from having had Steve’s lips around his erection, and he had meant it when he had said he wouldn’t last much longer. His breath was coming in harsh pants and when Steve reached around him and took his cock in hand, it took only seconds before he was splattering his come all over the bathroom tiles. 

Steve, however, didn’t stop, continuing to stoke leisurely at Harry’s cock, refusing to let it go soft, adding a third finger inside of Harry, fully stretching him out. Harry was lost to a sea of pleasure, everything had become a little blurred as he rode out his orgasm, Steve’s thumb grazing across the sensitive tip of his erection. 

“Please,” Harry begged, being utterly overwhelmed by the pleasurable, bordering on painful, sensations coursing through him. “Please,” he said again, pleading with Steve for more but unable to get the words out to tell him exactly what he wanted. 

Steve was rather enjoying watching Harry come undone in his arms as he moved his fingers inside of him; he had given the younger man such a beautiful love bite that he was feeling rather pleased with himself. He was confident that he could easily make Harry come twice more at least before he neared his own completion, the serum giving him above average stamina. His first time he had been overwhelmed by new feelings and new sensations but this time he was going to make it last. 

Harry was almost completely boneless his embrace and it gave Steve such a sense of power and accomplishment, he didn’t want it to ever end, though he knew that it had to and so knowing that there was much more to come he removed all three fingers from inside of the other man. Turning Harry around so that the smaller man now had his back pressed against the tiles, Steve smashed their lips together, claiming them in a passionate kiss. His hands gripping Harry’s hips and lifting him up, the dark haired man wrapping his legs around the larger man’s waist obligingly. 

Harry could feel Steve’s erection pressing against his entrance; however, Steve held him still, making no move to impale him on it. Harry whined a little into the kiss, rocking his hips so that the tight ring of muscle grazed across the head of Steve’s cock, causing the larger man to groan in appreciation. Steve had meant it when he had said he wanted to savour this; he needed to make sure that Harry was ready for him and the lotion that they had been using for lube had been dropped so they had no hope of finding it now. They were going to have to take this slow. 

“Steve,” Harry pleaded, his voice no more than a whisper that ghosted across their lips; he needed this, if he didn’t get what he wanted he was certain that he was going to explode, “please.” 

With this last plea, Steve finally obliged, pushing himself a little way into Harry, being careful not to hurt him. The head of his erection now embedded into the other man, he paused, withdrawing until he was all the way out before pushing himself in again. He did this twice more, until Harry threw his head back against the tile with a crack, unable to handle the intensity. Though it didn’t seem to hurt at all, not judging by the wanton moans still escaping from Harry’s lips. 

Knowing that he had succeeded in driving Harry wild to the point of screaming in frustration and content that the smaller man was prepared enough to accept him completely, Steve, without warning, pushed himself all the way in. 

The burn was intense considering the only lube they had to ease the friction between them was the water cascading down on them from the shower. There had been some lotion coating Harry’s entrance from when Steve had prepared him but it hadn’t been much. Harry had to bite on his bottom lip to stop himself from crying out. 

Steve didn’t move, holding himself still inside of Harry, giving him a moment to adjust to the large erection inside of him. It wasn’t until the smaller man began to rock his hips, desperate for movement, that Steve pulled himself out a little to push himself back in, brushing against the sensitive bundle of nerves inside of Harry. 

Wrapping his arms across Harry’s back, Steve drew him closer, pressing their lips together, wanting to distract him from the bite of pain that he was no doubt experiencing. Witnessing Harry in the throes of passion in this way made Steve want to try being on the receiving end, just to experience what Harry was feeling. 

Pinned against the tiled shower wall, with Steve rocking into him, Harry was entirely lost to pleasure. His hands roaming into Steve’s hair, nails digging into the soft flesh of the larger man’s back. Steve was getting off on the slight sting of pain as the smaller man fisted his hair and clawed softly at his back. 

Steve reached between them, gripping at Harry’s erection, wanting to make him orgasm one more time as he could feel himself nearing his own end. There was a heat building in the pit of his stomach and Harry was so hot and tight around him that he could literally feel himself coming undone as he pushed himself deeper into his lover with each thrust. 

“I can’t,” Harry gasped out as Steve gripped his overly sensitive cock, not believing that he could orgasm twice in such quick succession. Being wrapped around Steve, feeling the other man as he moved inside of him, everything about it, it just felt right. 

“Yes you can,” Steve said, speeding up his thrusts as well as the motion of his wrist. He could feel how close Harry was and knew his own orgasm was going to be unavoidable shortly, but he wanted to bring Harry over the edge before he came.

Harry’s orgasm hit him like a herd of rampaging hippogriffs, it came so suddenly that he couldn’t stop himself from screaming. His erection erupted with a pearly white substance, splattering his and Steve’s chest with it. The larger of the two men, however, continued, his thrusts so fast that it was almost inhuman and if Harry had had the brain capacity to think about it he might have concluded that that made a little bit of sense. 

The feeling of the smaller man tightening and convulsing around him sent Steve over the edge. He roared out his release, every muscle in his body tensing and convulsing as he came, emptying himself into Harry’s willing body. 

\------------------x

The new couple fell into bed later that evening, exhausted from their late afternoon spent in the swimming pool, hot tub and sauna where they had violated every room that they had found. They had both had several more orgasms, having spent many an hour simply worshiping each other. Now that they were finally curled up in bed with one another, sex was the furthest thing from their minds. They had both had enough to last them… at least until the following day. 

“Harry,” Steve murmured sleepily, stroking at his raven hair softly, running it through his fingers affectionately.

“Hmm,” Harry hummed back, snuggling into the hold that the larger had around him. Both of them were completely naked, though neither of them were hard. It felt as if it might be physically impossible for them to get hard again right now; they were both utterly exhausted. 

“You won’t run off again, will you?” Steve asked, placing a sweet kiss to the top of Harry’s head and inhaling the sweet scent of the younger man’s hair. 

“I’m not going anywhere, Cap,” Harry whispered sleepily, placing soft kisses to Steve’s chest, one arm resting across the older man’s stomach as he used his chest as a pillow, “far too sleepy.” 

“You know what I mean, Harry,” Steve said with amused exasperation. He was loving having Harry snuggled up against him, half asleep and acting all cute. 

“Why would I go anywhere,” Harry asked, turning his head to look up at Steve, smiling at him, his eyes heavy, his mind trying to drag him into sleep. He wasn’t really thinking about what he was saying anymore, he was just enjoying the moment. 

“I don’t know, but you did earlier,” Steve pointed out. “And while I am quite certain you could have taken care of yourself, you were only out there for an hour or so before you found trouble.” 

“Trouble always finds me,” Harry said, stifling a yawn as his fingers traced lazy patterns across the defined chest, marvelling at how smooth and soft his skin was to the touch. 

“Not if I can help it,” Steve said, placing another kiss to the top of Harry’s head. The way that Harry spoke sometimes was truly heart wrenching. He could hear the hollow despair as Harry admitted that trouble always seemed to find him; it made Steve sad to think of how much the younger man must have been through. He was desperate to know more, but wanted for Harry to choose to tell him, to open up to him once more.

“I hope you can help it,” Harry said, his words coming out jumbled and a little messed up as his brain began to shut down, needing to sleep after the day he had had. “I never cared much before but you’ve given me a reason to.” Harry truly didn’t know what he was saying any more, too tired for his mind to process much at all. 

“What do you mean?” Steve asked, taking full advantage of how open and vulnerable Harry was when he was this sleepy. He was reluctant to outwardly ask but he wasn’t against coaxing the other man into talking to him. 

“I thought that this would be my last mission and now I hope that it is for an entirely different reason,” Harry mumbled, nuzzling affectionately into Steve’s side, his eyes closed, the patterns his fingers were tracing becoming lighter and less frequent. 

“Last mission? Why would this have been your last?” Steve asked him gently, still stroking at Harry’s raven hair, holding him close, loving how being this close to him felt. 

“Because before I came here,” Harry told him, struggling to find the words through this lethargy, “I was struggling to remember... remember what I was living for,” he said through a yawn.

“And you remember now?” Steve asked, unable to help the concern he felt. He had had dark times, but the way that Harry was speaking scared him.

Unable to hold back another yawn, it took Harry a moment to reply. “I’m starting to remember because of you,” he finally said with a contented sigh, his eyes drifting closed. 

“But you never intended to go back after this mission?” Steve asked, almost hopefully. He didn’t want to think of Harry leaving, going back to Britain.

“I just wasn’t worried about whether or not I would make it back,” Harry said with a shrug. “Now I am definitely leaning towards wanting to get out of this in one piece.”

There were no more words. Steve simply tightened his hold around the smaller man, holding him close, finally realising just how broken and messed up Harry was. If there was one thing that he could do for Harry then he wanted to give him a reason to survive, to come out of this in one piece. He was going to make sure that Harry remembered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to leave a lovely comment and let me know what you think!


	8. Casanova

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry has a meeting with the Minister.

Steve woke up alone the next morning, after the afternoon they’d spent together, he hadn’t been expecting this. He had wanted to wake up with his lover in his arms but this was sadly not the case. When he investigated further he found the shower had been used, though there was still no sign of Harry.

 

Quickly getting himself dressed, Steve ventured up to the communal floor. The moment that the lift doors opened his nostrils were assaulted with the pleasant scent of freshly brewed coffee and pancakes. He easily spotted Harry in the kitchen, flipping pancakes over the stove effortlessly, bacon under the grill, sizzling pleasantly. Tony and Bruce were sat on stools at the breakfast bar watching and talking to him as he cooked. Tony had his usual giant mug of coffee, Bruce with his earl grey with honey, both looking rather happy that breakfast was being prepared for them.

 

“Morning,” Steve said, moving around the breakfast bar and joining Harry in the kitchen, wrapping a single arm around his waist and drawing him into a brief but passionate kiss before allowing him to return to his cooking. Steve then moved to the fridge, grabbing himself a bottle of water, positioning himself so that he could watch his lover in action.

 

“Well aren’t you two the picture of domestic bliss,” Bruce said in amusement as Harry slid a pancake on to his plate. It was rare that he ate anything that wasn’t quick and easy, not with his work and the research he was doing, combined with the work he was doing with the Avengers; he never had time to prepare decent meals for himself. This made a nice change. 

 

“Jealous, hot stuff?” Harry asked with a cheeky wink before turning back to the stove, pouring more batter into the frying pan, this time adding blueberries for Tony. He really did love cooking and seeing as he hadn’t been able to get back to sleep after unexpectedly waking up at five in the morning he had decided to put the time to good use.

 

He had been waking up at that time every day to go to work and get all of his paperwork done. He needed a secretary or a personal assistant or something really. Kingsley had permitted him the budget to allow for one but he had never found anyone that he liked and was therefore stuck with the workload himself. Not that he minded much; work was his life, at least it had been before this mission.

 

“After you two defiled my pool yesterday, hell yes I’m jealous,” Tony said with a not so subtle wink to Harry before Bruce could say anything. It had been a while since Pepper had slept in his bed with him, she was mad with him, though this was nothing new. She was always mad at him for something but this was the longest that she had gone without yelling at him and giving him a chance to rectify what he had done.

 

“You were watching?” Steve asked, turning to look at Tony with an expression of disbelief and disgust. He didn’t appreciate the fact that their privacy had been violated in such a way; what he and Harry had done the day before was not something that Steve felt comfortable with people watching. It had been highly personal and he believed strongly that what they had shared should stay between two people and not be broadcast as public knowledge. 

 

“There are cameras for security purposes,” Tony explained with a shrug, unapologetic in his tone. In truth he had not set out to watch them at it, however, once he had realised what had been going on, he just couldn’t take his eyes off them. He was almost ashamed to say that it had turned him on a little, something he wasn’t about to admit to them.

 

“And I suppose that your voyeuristic tendencies are for security purposes too?” Harry asked, torn between being annoyed and a little amused. It was another thing that he wasn’t unfamiliar with, he’d had someone watch him sleep with someone before but they had been in the room with them and not through a camera. Harry was far too accustomed to his body being public property to mind too much, he was pretty sure that Which Wizard had at least one picture of him fully nude, not that they had published it… yet.

 

“Of course,” Tony said with an unapologetic grin, “just making sure that neither of you drowned.” Steve looked at him dubiously at this, he knew Tony far too well at this point to believe that. He truly didn’t know what to say about the fact he had been watching them have sex, too disgusted to really form words. The thing that made it worse, however, was that Harry seemed entirely un-phased by it.

 

“Perv,” Harry said with a scowl, “no pancakes for you,” he added, putting the just finished blueberry pancake on to a plate and handing it to Steve with a brief peck to his lips. Bruce couldn’t help but snort in amusement at Tony’s rather put out expression.

 

“I have coffee, I’m good,” Tony said with a shrug, trying to brush it off and pretend that he wasn’t really bothered. It was quite normal for him to forget to eat for a few days anyway, so as long as he stayed fully caffeinated he would be just fine, even if the pancakes did smell really good. “I also have hot guy porn starring Captain America, the money I can make with that will buy me a whole load of blueberry pancakes.”

 

“If you thought it was hot then maybe you need to revise who you’re dating,” Harry pointed out as he poured some more pancake batter into the frying pan, this time adding chocolate chips for himself. He had always had a sweet tooth, it was something that had stuck with him since he was an eleven year old boy, stuffing his face with sweets on the Hogwarts express and eating a whole treacle tart to himself at Halloween.

 

“Just because I can appreciate a good body when I see one,” Tony said with a shrug. He didn’t really get what the big deal with it was, the only prude among them was Steve, no one else really cared and in Tony’s mind, Steve really needed to get over his issues.

 

“Maybe I’ll come back to your room sometime and you can see it up close,” Harry retorted as he flipped the chocolate chip pancake over in the pan. He was too busy fussing with the food to notice how much Steve tensed up at this suggestion. 

 

“Alright, Casanova, enough of that,” Steve said, a hint of jealousy in his tone as he narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Tony. He really didn’t approve of what Tony had done, nor did he appreciate the fact that Stark was now flirting with Harry. It was going to take a little getting used to having his boyfriend flirt with other men, especially when he was right there and watching. 

 

“I might just take you up on that, show you how it’s done. Clearly Roger’s can’t keep you satisfied,” Tony said with a wink, ignoring Steve completely. He had always rather enjoyed winding Steve up, now that Harry was around, it just added one more button for Tony to push.

 

“Oh, Tony, you just aren’t man enough to handle me,” Harry said sweetly as he put his pancake on a plate. “Sonic, do you want breakfast?” he called, glancing over to the stairs. He knew Clint was sitting up there quietly, listening and watching as he tended to do. 

 

“I think you are going to give Steve an aneurysm,” Bruce said with heavy amusement. He didn’t think he had ever seen Steve’s face so quite so red before. It almost looked as if Steve was on the verge of whisking Harry away from them all and not returning with him for a good few hours. 

 

“The love bite on his neck makes it pretty clear he’s been claimed,” Clint said, coming down the stairs from the living area above to join them. He had been listening to the conversation as it unfolded and had been finding it rather amusing. Steve’s old fashioned values had always seemed a little odd to him, but he had accepted them as part of the charms of Captain America. 

 

“No one claims me, Sonic,” Harry retorted. “Now, do you want pancakes?” Steve was watching Harry very carefully and was marvelling at how domestic the young man appeared to be, despite the fact he seemed so detached emotionally to romantic endeavors before him. One day soon, Steve was hoping that Harry might open up more about his past because he really wanted to know what Harry had been through before he had ended up in America. 

 

“Sure,” Clint responded with a shrug, taking a seat slightly away from the rest of the group at the dining table. He had never been overly fond of crowds, even groups as small as the one gathered in the kitchen, he much prefered to watch from a distance and observe what was going on if he could. 

 

“Say please,” Harry said teasingly, smiling at Clint somewhat cheekily. He did rather enjoy teasing the sullen man, who didn’t seem to know how to take it. 

 

“Please,” Clint growled, not enjoying how he was practically having to beg for breakfast. None of the others had had to say please but he knew why Harry was doing it so he didn’t want to say anything just in case it spurred Harry on to do it more. Instead he needed to act as if it didn’t bother him in the slightest, even though it really did. 

 

“Pretty please,” Harry teased and Clint glowered at him, not willing to be humiliated in such a way, he would have rather not had breakfast at all than present himself as a fool that could be manipulated, not after what Loki had done to him. 

 

“I’ll make my own breakfast,” Clint grunted, going to get up and do just that. 

 

Harry couldn’t help himself, he laughed. “Oh sit down, I’m only messing with you, chocolate chips, blueberries or plain? There is syrup in the fridge too.” 

 

“Plain,” Clint said, not sitting back down, instead moving so that he was standing just outside of the kitchen and watching Harry with eagle eyes as the young man poured batter into the frying pan, acting as if he was fearful that Harry might try and poison him. 

 

“How do you feel after yesterday?” Harry asked, slightly concerned that he might have done Clint some serious damage. The last thing he wanted was for Clint to have lasting damage because of something that he had done, he was genuinely concerned and it showed in his tone. 

 

“Fine,” he grunted in reply, slightly surprised at how genuine Harry seemed to be as he had asked this. He respected Harry for his abilities and fully believed what he was capable of but that didn’t mean he trusted him fully just yet, that was something that was going to take time to achieve. 

 

“Mr Coulson is here, Sir,” Jarvis suddenly announced much to the surprise of everyone in the room, including Tony who had not been expecting visitors so early. 

 

“Oh, send him up,” Harry said to Jarvis as he flipped over the pancake for Clint. After going to talk to Fury so early that morning he had been expecting Coulson before breakfast and he hadn’t been disappointed. 

 

“You’re expecting him?” Steve asked curiously. He wasn’t sure what Harry was up to but the fact that he wasn’t sharing his plans grated on him a little. They were supposed to be a team, not just as the Avengers but the two of them as a couple as well. 

 

“Yeah, I went to see Fury this morning; I couldn’t sleep and needed to discuss some things with him. He said to me that he’d send Coulson when he’d managed to do what I asked,” Harry explained as he put the pancake he had been making for Clint on a plate and handed it over to the blue haired man before moving to the fridge to retrieve the syrup. 

 

“And what did you ask?” Clint asked before anyone else could. He was not used to secrets in the team he was working in. He wasn’t convinced that Harry was going to make a good member of the Avengers when he was hiding so much from them. 

 

“I can’t say,” Harry said apologetically, knowing that it must have been frustrating for them all to be denied the information that they wanted and even needed to know. “But I might be able to later, once I get this sorted.” 

 

“But you won’t tell us,” Steve said a little sadly, wishing that Harry would just talk to him, to them as a team. He understood that there were rules and regulations from the world he was from and to break them could mean consequences but it still hurt a little to know that Harry wasn’t telling them everything he knew. 

 

“Sorry, Cap, I can’t but I promise I will later, it’s why I have to go with Coulson,” Harry explained, handing the bottle of syrup to Clint before going to Steve and wrapping his arms around the larger man’s muscular frame. 

 

“Fine, just please don’t proposition him,” Steve said, only half teasingly as the lift doors opened and Agent Coulson stepped out. Harry just smiled sweetly, going up on to his tip toes and pressing a chaste kiss to Steve’s lips. 

 

“Would I do that?” Harry asked innocently. Steve didn’t give him the satisfaction of an answer, he simply looked at him sceptically, which made Harry laugh. They heard Tony snort in amusement behind them too.

 

“Director Fury is ready for you, Harry,” Phil said, standing by the elevator doors, hands together in front of him looking rather formal in his black suit and blue tie. 

 

Harry gave a final kiss to Steve’s lips before he untangled himself from his lover’s arms and headed over to where Coulson was waiting for him. They gave each other a nod of understanding before the two of them piled into the lift and disappeared from sight. 

 

“What do you think that is all about?” Tony asked, looking to the others, wanting to gage their reactions. Harry was an enigma to them all, none of them sure what to make of him, not even Steve who knew him intimately. 

 

“I guess we’ll find out,” Bruce said after swallowing a bite of pancake. He had decided from the first mouthful that Harry was a remarkably good cook. Steve didn’t say anything, he was still glaring at the elevator doors unhappily, over thinking everything, as usual. 

 

“He’s like a lovesick teenager,” Clint stated, a little amused by how much Steve had changed just because of Harry. Steve threw Barton a warning stare before deciding that he needed to vent some of his frustrations in private. 

 

Heading to the elevator without saying anything to the others, he hit the call button, intending to head to his quarters where Tony had been kind enough to give him a work out area that could accommodate his prefered methods of training as well as being strong enough to allow him to train with his shield. 

 

\-------------------x 

 

Fury was not the only one in his office when Harry arrived. Coulson had walked him to the door and then left, knowing that the conversation that was about to happen was well over his pay grade. The third occupant in the room was someone Harry knew well and recognized instantly. 

 

“Kingsley,” Harry greeted. He was not feeling as warm and friendly towards the Minister for Magic as he would normally, not after the lies that had been told to bring him here. In fact Harry was feeling rather irate towards the man he was meant to trust. 

 

“Harry,” Kingsley returned, a tone of sadness to his voice. Harry picked up on this at once and he knew that the older gentleman had realised how wrong his actions had been, though that didn’t mean that Harry had to forgive him. “Nick, perhaps you will allow us some privacy while we talk,” the minister requested and although Fury did not look best pleased he nodded his head in agreement. It wasn’t like he couldn’t listen into the conversation anyway. 

 

“You lied to me,” Harry said the moment the door to the office was closed and the two of them were left alone. He had a lot to get off of his chest, a lot to figure out. He needed to know why it was that he had ended up here. He was rather grateful that he had now but that wasn’t the point. 

 

Kingsley sighed. “Not entirely,” he began, thinking that he didn’t have many options now; he was going to have to tell Harry the entire truth about the situation. “I did send you here to protect you, that much I did keep from you; however, my brother is not as much of a mysterious genius as he believes he is. I knew that he would have his own motives for agreeing to have you here. He rarely does anything that won’t benefit him in some way. I was under no illusion that you would be relaxing and taking a holiday, I knew that he would have a mission for you to complete.” 

 

“Your brother?” Harry asked, realization dawning on him. It made a lot of sense now that he thought about it, though there weren’t a lot of similarities between the two of them that he could see. 

 

“Half brother, we share a mother. Huge scandal when it happened, but it doesn’t matter. I trust this man and I sent you here because I knew that you would be safe here, I know him well enough to know that he had his own motives but also that he would not put you in danger, not when I had asked him to protect you.” 

 

“Did you know about George before you sent me away?” Harry asked; he needed to know the answer to this at the very least. This mattered a great deal to Harry, if the Minister had known that someone that he considered to be family was in trouble and had still sent him away then Harry was not going to be happy. 

 

“We knew that the Weasley family had been compromised, we didn’t know to what extent. It was too much of a risk to get you involved when you care for them so much. You are a better asset here than in England.” Kingsley had tried to do the right thing, he had seen how close Harry was to falling over the edge and he knew that losing more people that he loved would have been the last straw. He had sent him away not only to protect him from the new threat against their world but also to protect him from himself. 

 

He had honestly sent Harry away with the best intentions, just like he had promoted Harry with the same best intentions, thinking that he needed to be out of the field. However, a desk job had seemed to slowly kill Harry all the more, which was possibly even more dangerous than having him on assignment having spells fired at him. It had been a tough choice but Kingsley couldn’t regret his decision to send Harry here, especially not if the rumours were true. 

 

“You realise it’s the same threat, right? Loki is the one you’re hunting, the one hurting the Weasley family, he’s Thor’s brother for goodness sake. I’m no safer here than I was at home,” Harry argued, finding it laughable that the same threat that Kingsley had tried to protect him from was the one he was going to be fighting against. 

 

“Yes, well, there is another problem,” Kingsley said with a tired sigh, this was not what he had been looking forward to telling him. Harry had never enjoyed his status as a celebrity, the fact that once again his personal life was all over various publications for all to see was never going to be a pleasant topic of discussion. 

 

“Another one? I probably should have been expecting that, this is my life after all,” Harry returned with a dramatic roll of his eyes. If there wasn’t just one more thing then it just wouldn’t be complicated enough for him.

 

“The entirety of Wizarding England knows that you’re in New York, speculation in the paper’s is that you are shacked up with a lover, I believe he is one of my brothers unique team of super humans,” Kingsley explained. If he’d had forethought then he might have brought a copy with him, however, it might only have exacerbated the situation. As it was, Harry didn’t look best pleased with this news. 

 

“He’s not my boyfriend, I don’t know what he is, but he isn’t important, not to this conversation,” Harry said defensively, really not wanting to talk about his relationship with Steve. “I need to be able to get home in a hurry, I need a port key, just in case. If something happens then I need to be able to get back home,” Harry added, thinking that he wanted an escape route other than a long and tedious flight. 

 

“Funnily enough I agree, I’ve had one made, just in case,” Kingsley said, removing a wound up belt and buckle from inside of one of his robe pockets. “Wear this, keep it for emergency use only, tap it once with your wand to activate it and then tell it where you want it to take you, it’ll take a couple of minutes to activate after that.”

 

“That it?” Harry asked, accepting the belt and buckle, securing it around his waist without a moment of hesitation. Kingsley nodded his head, wanting for Harry to feel as if he was safe and that he had a way out if it came to that. “I want to tell them what I am and where I came from,” he said when silence descended between them.

 

“I’m not sure that that is such a good idea,” Kingsley said with a grimace. Nick had told him of the relationship that Harry and Steve had embarked on to, how serious it had become between them and how quickly. 

 

He was happy that Harry finally seemed to have found something, or rather someone to keep him grounded and keep him steady. However, that didn’t mean that he thought it was a good thing that Harry now wanted to tell Steve everything after only two days. It seemed a little extreme; Kingsley was aware that nothing in Harry’s life was ordinary but even this seemed a little strange for Harry who had always struggled with trusting people. 

 

“Fury knows, he must do. I’ve been using magic in front of them, they aren’t going to find it that weird. If Loki is trying to break into the Ministry then surely my team that you put me with to fight against Loki should know what they’re fighting to protect, what extra factors they have to consider in this fight?” Harry was all prepared to argue his point, more than anything he wanted to be able to be honest with Steve. It seemed wrong to keep lying to him. 

 

“How do you know that Loki is trying to break into the Ministry?” Kingsley asked, a little shocked at this revelation. He had had no idea that the goal had been to break into the Ministry, he was confused as to how Harry knew this with such certainty. 

 

“This is why they need to know what I am,” Harry pointed out, thinking that this was exactly why they needed to be a more united team rather than spread out and keeping information from one another. “Loki wants something that I put into the Ministry, I’m not sure you’d recall it, we didn’t know what it was at the time, I put it on the list for things that the Unspeakables needed to investigate. It was my last mission, before you promoted me… that sphere.” 

 

“I recall the mission in question,” Kingsley said sadly, he would never forget a mission that killed one of their own. A good man had died that day, Kingsley himself had told the young man’s family, he had thought that they were owed that much at the very least. Shane had been so young, so idealistic and he had given his life up to protect the wizarding world. 

 

“I placed the sphere into the Ministry, protecting it with the enchantments that I usually use for unknown and potentially dangerous items. I’m the only one who will be able to retrieve it and that is why Loki is hunting me,” Harry explained, looking at Kingsley with a sad expression, not knowing why it seemed to always be him. 

 

“You could transfer the enchantments so that the sphere was protected by me, I could take that responsibility,” Kingsley offered. It was something that he would do for Harry because the young man before him had already been through enough in his life. If there was just one thing he could do to give Harry a break then he was going to do it. 

 

“And put you at risk, Minister? No, I don’t think so. I won’t put anyone in the line of fire and save myself, it’s not my style,” Harry said with a sad smile, knowing that this was his fight now, the world had come together to put him here, he was going to see it out to the bitter end. 

 

“Courageous and Gryffindor to the end,” Kingsley said and, although his tone was approving, there was a hint of sadness to it as well. 

 

“You still haven’t agreed to me telling them about what we are,” Harry stated, ignoring the compliment. This was a man he trusted but he was still going to do what he thought was best, thought it would be helpful if Kingsley gave his permission. 

 

“Because I am not sure that it is wise; I believe that the relationship with the man, Steve Rogers is clouding your judgement a little,” Kingsley said with a sigh, thinking things over. “However, I do think that he is good for you, the relationship is good for you, so if you are sure that they will keep the secret then you will not be brought up on charges against the wizarding world if you tell them.” 

 

“I appreciate that,” Harry said with a small smile. He hadn’t realised how much he had needed Steve until he had come into his life, how happy he was now that he had someone to share his life with. He hadn’t thought that he would ever find someone that he could, not someone that didn’t care about his fame. 

 

“Just do me a favour,” Kingsley requested, “stay here for a while. The papers reported that you were in New York, that you had a new boyfriend and were living with him. There wasn’t much else, nothing about you being here on a mission, but there is uproar at home right now. If you come back you’ll be mobbed by fans, you are better here, at least for now.”

 

“And what about Loki? If he knows that I’m in New York, he’ll know that I’m with the Avenger’s, he’ll come here, he’ll come looking for me,” Harry said, not knowing what was best for him right now. If he went home then he would be mobbed by his fans and the situation would be too far out of control. If he stayed here then there was no doubt in his mind that Loki would come to them and then they would all be in trouble. New York didn’t need a repeat of what had happened last time when Loki had come to visit. 

 

“That is why I gave you an emergency portkey,” Kingsley said. “The Avengers, as you call them, can handle Loki. They have done so before and will survive going up against him again. You are my priority, Harry, not them, they can take care of themselves.”

 

“Not against us,” Harry pointed out. “If there are wizards and witches involved, then these people won’t be able to stand against them. They might not be your average muggles but they still can’t stand against us no matter how special they are.” 

 

“They are here to protect you, not get involved with our affairs. You can tell them about who you are, the world where you have come from but they are not to come into our world, I can’t allow that to happen Harry, not without special reasons.” 

 

“I understand but Loki isn’t anything like what we’ve ever faced before, he isn’t like Voldemort, he isn’t one of us, but he wants something that we have. That sphere holds our power, I touched it, it duplicated my magic and stored it inside with whatever other power it has and that is what Loki wants.” 

 

Kingsley looked at Harry in fascination and horror; he had had no idea that the sphere that had been brought into the Ministry had so much power concealed inside of it or how much danger it had the potential to be. The unspeakables had not yet had the time or the resources to investigate it and this was making it painfully clear that this was an oversight. They had been short staffed in the Department of Mysteries for a while but Kingsley had believed that they were on top of it. 

 

“We won’t allow him anywhere close to that sphere,” Kingsley said definitively, Harry nodded in agreement to this. There was no way that they could ever allow Loki to get hold of that sphere. 

 

“There was something else that Thor said,” Harry mused, thinking things over in his mind. “He said that Loki couldn’t have escaped without help. No witch or wizard would be able to get to whatever world Thor and Loki are from, it had to be outside help.” 

 

“Are you thinking that perhaps someone other than this Loki character is after the sphere?” Kingsley asked; he had always admired the way Harry’s mind worked, though never before had he seen it in action. There was a reason Harry had become such an admired Auror, why he had been promoted so quickly too. 

 

“I think so, sure Loki would have use for all that power but how would he know about it when S.H.I.E.L.D and Thor can’t find much information? I mean, think about it, someone, somewhere had to know about it to be able to tell Loki about it. Someone higher up that we can’t see is helping him, that’s who we need to focus on, not Loki, he’s just a pawn to distract us.” 

 

“I think you’re right,” Kingsley said in agreement. “I will look into it when I return home; if there is some bigger threat out there then we need to know about it now, because taking Loki out of the equation won’t help anyone if there is a larger organization behind him.” 

 

“I’ll look into it this side and see what I can come up with,” Harry said, mulling things over in his mind. “S.H.I.E.L.D has had their enemies past and present, it could be someone they’ve come across before.”

 

“Don’t work yourself too hard, these people can accept you for who you are without judging you or obsessing over you like some of your fans back home. Use this time, not only to work on your mission but to take the time you need to be relax. You work too hard, Harry, I’ve always thought that about you.”

 

“Minister,” Harry began, concerned more for those that he loved that he had left back in England than for himself, “my family… are they okay? Ron, Hermione, Teddy, the other Weasleys… they are all safe, right?” 

 

“Ron and Hermione went into hiding with their daughter shortly before you left. Teddy and his grandmother also went to a safe house. Anyone close to you we tried to move them out of the line of fire so that they wouldn’t be targetted to get to you,” Kingsley explained, sugar coating the truth a little because he didn’t want Harry to worry. 

 

“Just do what it takes to keep them safe, don’t worry about me, I’m good here,” Harry said reassuringly. He meant it too, he would be fine here, at least for a while, as long as those he cared about were safe then he would be fine. 

 

“I’ll be in contact when we know more, just stay safe, find out whatever you can about who could be helping Loki. Enjoy some time with that young gentleman,” Kingsley said with a small, knowing smile. 

 

\---------------------x

 

“Where’s Steve?” Harry asked as he reemerged on the communal floor after his meeting with Kingsley. He had been gone for a while, the breakfast stuff all washed up and the kitchen spotless. 

 

Natasha was sitting at the table reading, her feet propped up on another chair, Harry could have snorted in amusement at the fact that she was reading a book entitled Tai-otoshi, which by the picture on the cover seemed to be some kind of Judo combat guide. He didn’t think that she would do anything that could be thought of as recreational. 

 

“Don’t know,” she said without looking up from her book. She cared very little for Harry and was more than a little disgruntled that he and Steve were getting away with their relationship when she had never been able to even consider it with Clint. 

 

“Thanks for the help, much appreciated,” Harry muttered sarcastically as he moved past Natasha, heading for the stairs that led up to a living area. He took the steps two at a time and found Clint there, lounging on one of the settees. He was reading too and it amazed Harry that the two of them wouldn’t just sit and read together. 

 

“Dont’ know where lover boy is,” Clint said before Harry could say anything. He didn’t bother looking up from his book either. He and Natasha were so very alike. 

 

“Tony, Bruce, anyone more helpful than the two of you?” Harry asked in frustration, throwing his hands up in the air. 

 

“Two?” Clint asked in confusion, glancing up from his book long enough to glance around to see if he could find the second person that Harry had mentioned, however, he saw no one else. 

 

“Natasha’s downstairs,” Harry explained. “You didn’t know?” 

 

Clint shook his head looking a little puzzled. “Ask Jarvis,” Clint said, getting to his feet and bypassing Harry as he headed for the stairs. 

 

“Jarvis, where is Steve?” Harry asked, feeling a little stupid talking to himself and wondering if Clint had suggested this just to make him feel a little stupid. It probably would have been a good way to pay him back for the blue hair, if it hadn’t worked. 

 

“Steve Rogers is in his quarters, Sir,” the computer generated voice of Jarvis informed him and Harry smiled, heading for the stairs. With Steve in their rooms it allowed for plenty of privacy and after his meeting with Kingsley this was exactly what Harry wanted. 

 

“What are you smiling about?” Natasha asked as Harry walked rather quickly through the kitchen dining room, heading for the lift. 

 

“Didn’t you hear,” Clint said in amusement, “Steve’s in their bedroom.” 

 

Natasha said nothing, simply giving Harry a rather disapproving look as he stuck his tongue out at the two of them as he pressed the call button for the lift. He was buzzing with excitement, hopping from foot to foot as he waited impatiently. 

 

“It would be cute if it wasn’t so sickening,” Natasha said as Clint sat down at the table with her. Harry was all out of sassy comebacks, far too preoccupied with what he was going to be doing with Steve in a matter of minutes to be thinking of witty retorts. 

“Never thought I would hear you refer to anything as cute,” Clint said with an amused smile, as he turned to look at Natasha, laughing when she simply glared at him before turning back to her book. She really was a unique woman, and he was very fond of her; they had always stayed professional, but he couldn’t help that seeing how Harry and Steve were together had made him wonder if there was a chance for something more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think?? Hopefully you liked it. Let me know.


	9. Black Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry tells Steve what he is...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all of the amazing feedback, you guys are amazing!

“Steve,” Harry called out as he searched level sixty nine for any sign of Steve. He had already searched the bedroom and sitting area but with no luck so far. There were so many doors all over the place that Harry honestly wasn’t sure where he had checked and where he hadn’t at this point and was considering asking Jarvis to point him in the right direction. 

“Here,” came a grunted reply a second later, it sounded rather strained and Harry was rather intrigued as to why, so, following the sound of Steve’s shallow grunts, he found his lover in a workout type room. Harry took a moment to appreciate the sight that greeted him. Steve was in loose fitting, grey tracksuit bottoms, which seemed to hug him around his arse, and, much to Harry’s delight, nothing else, as he hit at a punching bag, letting off steam 

“Now that is hot,” Harry said with a low whistle as he raked his eyes up and down his lover’s body, watching his muscles flex and move as he worked out. He was starting to feel a little hot and bothered watching Steve go at it like this, sweat dripping down his back, muscles flexing with each punch. 

Steve said nothing in return as Harry slowly approached him, though he stopped hitting the punching bag when he felt Harry’s hands on his hips and lips against the sweat glazed skin of his back, the soft kisses moving up his back to the nape of his neck where teeth grazed over the sweat tainted skin, nibbling affectionately. 

“Did you get what you needed?” Steve asked, a little breathless, his hands gripping the punching bag as Harry’s hands wandered across his body, eyes closed as he allowed his younger lover to kiss and caress him. 

“I did,” Harry replied, his voice soft as he reached around his lover with both hands to play with his nipples, gently stroking at them as he sucked and nibbled at Steve’s neck, marking him. 

“Will you talk to me now?” Steve asked, hoping against hope that there would be less secrets between them soon. What the two of them shared was amazing but it would never be more than what it was until Harry felt as if he could trust him with a few of his secrets and he seemed to have a fair few. 

“Later,” Harry said as he moved his attentions down, slowly going down to his knees, placing soft kisses across Steve’s back as he went, his hands resting on the older man’s hips, fingers teasing at the elastic waistband of his sweatpants. “First, I have something else in mind,” he added before delving one hand inside of Steve’s pants, fondling his semi-erect cock through his boxers. 

“We can’t,” Steve said as his fingers gripped at the punching bag to steady himself as Harry stroked him through the thin cotton material of his underwear. 

“Why?” Harry question curiously, never stopping his actions, casually caressing Steve’s erection at a leisurely pace, feeling the older man tense up as he bit his lip, trying not to moan in pleasure. 

“He might be watching,” Steve said, not liking the fact that Tony had an all access pass to whatever they were doing whenever he wanted. He needed for what he and Harry shared to remain between the two of them and not be for Tony’s amusement or pleasure. The fact that it was made him uncomfortable and he needed Harry to understand this. 

“Jarvis,” Harry said, never stopping what he was going to Steve, “Please give us complete privacy on level sixty nine,” he requested to the computer. 

“Level sixty-nine has now been secured,” Jarvis confirmed a moment later. 

“Better?” Harry asked as he withdrew his hand and began to push down the sweatpants and underwear, wanting to admire the fully naked body of his lover. He had plans for this particular love making session. He was very aware of just how inexperienced Steve was and Harry wanted to give him a few new experiences. 

“Yes,” Steve said, his voice coming out a little raspy as he felt Harry’s lips kissing the small of his back as he kicked off his clothing. “What are you doing,” Steve asked as he felt Harry move his kisses lower, hands fondling his arse. 

Harry said nothing in return as he parted the two firm globes and ran his tongue over the tight ring of muscle which initiated a shocked gasp from Steve as his muscles clenched together in shock, he had had no idea what had been about to happen and it had taken him by complete surprise. 

“I want to show you how it feels,” Harry explained, “if you’re up for it.” He was a little worried that his large, muscular lover might not want to bottom but he wanted the offer to be there for him. Steve had never done this before so Harry wanted to make sure that he experienced everything, the two of them together. 

“Yes,” Steve said, his voice raspy as he moved forward slightly, still gripping at the punching back but now resting his forehead against it too, willing to allow his lover to do whatever he wanted to him at this point. 

Harry didn’t respond, at least not verbally, positioning himself behind Steve, he ran his tongue around the rim of his lovers entrance, coating it in saliva. The lube they had bought the previous day was in their bedroom and Harry was reluctant to relocate just yet, not when he had Steve exactly how he wanted him. 

With a little effort, Harry slowly and carefully slipped a single finger inside of Steve, causing the older man to grunt with the unexpected pressure and bite of pain that came with it. Harry remembered how it felt and moved quickly to distract his lover by sucking and nibbling at the tight ring of muscle, adding extra lubricant in the form of his saliva as he began to move the single digit in and out in smooth, slow motion. 

He continued with this for a few more moments until Steve had become used to the sensation and was moaning, biting down and gnawing at his lip to keep from crying out too loudly. His grip on the punching bag causing his knuckles to turn white. 

Harry added a second finger to stretch Steve out a little further, never relenting with his tongue and teeth and this time there was no sound of discomfort from the older man, just louder moans of pleasure. Harry took this as an invite to speed up his actions a little, hooking his fingers a little in search of the little bundle of nerves inside of his lover. 

He knew the moment that he found it, Steve cried out in pleasure and utter shock as he exploded, his come splattering the punching bag and his strength pulling it from the ceiling which sent them both tumbling to the ground along with bits of the ceiling and a fair amount of dust. Withdrawing from the older man, Harry moved to make sure that Steve was alright and found him breathless and smiling. 

“You are amazing,” Steve managed to say, pulling Harry on top of him and claiming his lips in a searing kiss. 

“We’re not done yet, Captain,” Harry said with a salacious grin as he withdrew from the kiss. “Let’s take this to the bedroom before we destroy anything else.” 

Steve nodded his agreement to this plan, gathering Harry up into his arms as he got to his feet. His legs were still a little weak form his sudden orgasm but Harry barely weighed anything despite his muscle. He had seen how the smaller man had reacted when he had entered him and now Steve wanted to feel that for himself. 

He placed Harry down upon the bed watching with eagle eyes as Harry began to strip, first removing his t-shirt, revealing his defined stomach muscles, throwing the material carelessly to one side, not caring where it ended up. Then going to the belt, being more careful with this and placing it consciously on the nightstand before going for the button on his jeans, popping them open with teasing slowness. Steve couldn’t stop watching as Harry slowly edged his trousers down, taking his boxers with him. 

“Grab the lube,” Harry instructed as he kicked off his trousers, watching as Steve crawled on to the bed beside him, going to the draw in the bedside cabinet where they had put the bottles of lube. They had in fact bought a few different flavours, which had been entirely Harry’s idea but Steve grabbed the nearest one without looking and Harry couldn’t help but laugh at it’s bright pink lid, knowing that it was mixed berry flavour. 

Steve ignored Harry’s smile, knowing exactly what he was grinning about. Throwing the lube on to the bed, he began to kiss every inch of Harry’s exposed chest, moving lower, tongue circling his belly button before gripping the base of the younger man’s cock and taking the tip into his mouth. Harry’s hands fisted in the duvet beneath him, trying to fight the urge to buck his hips upwards into the wet warmth around his erection. 

The older man rather enjoyed the effect that he was having on his lover, using his tongue to swirl around the tip as he used his hands to stroke the base of the shaft and play with his balls. “Stop,” Harry begged, “Steve, stop,” he gasped out, knowing that if they carried on then he was going to come and then they wouldn’t be doing much more of anything. 

Steve chuckled a little as he withdrew, his own cock starting to grow hard again. Just seeing Harry reacting like this, hearing the sounds that he was making it was a huge turn on. Harry pushed himself up, pulling Steve to him and pressing their lips together. He was so desperate for release, so close that he needed to calm himself down a little before they went any further otherwise it wasn’t going to last long. 

“If you’re not sure,” Harry began but Steve silenced him with another kiss, he knew that he was sure, beyond sure in fact. He wanted this and Harry wasn’t going to talk him out of it.

“I want to,” Steve said, knowing that he, at the very least, wanted to try; he wanted to feel Harry inside of him, needed to know what that felt like to be entirely possessed and claimed by this man whom he cared for so deeply.

“If you want me to stop,” Harry continued and once again his ramblings were stopped when Steve pressed their lips together, kissing him for all he was worth. This time Harry took that to mean that Steve was more than sure that he wanted this.

The two of them moved themselves up the bed, Harry taking the dominant position, pushing Steve on to his back and straddling him, all while never breaking the kiss. Their hands wandering to intimate places, stroking and caressing. 

Harry moved his way down Steve’s body, using his lips and tongue to worship every inch of Steve’s glorious upper body. One hand stroking at the older man’s erection that was leaking pre-cum already. He knew that Steve wasn’t nearly prepared enough so, grabbing the lube, Harry flicked the cap open and squirted some of the sweet smelling substance on to his fingers. 

He slipped two digits in easily from the preparation that he had done while they were in the workout room, Steve baring down on the two fingers inside of him, reaching his hands up to grip at the headboard to steady himself as Harry pushed in a third finger. 

Harry stretched out his fingers, not wanting to hurt his lover on his first time, he wanted to make sure that Steve enjoyed himself and judging by the moans escaping from his lips he certainly was. It wouldn’t take much more before Steve was ready. Having the sudden urge to taste his lover, Harry took Steve’s erection into his mouth as he continued to stretch out his entrance. 

“Harry,” Steve gasped out as his body tensing as his second orgasm ripped through him, his come emptying into Harry’s mouth where the younger man drank it down, swallowing every drop and continuing to suck on the wilting erection, determined to make his lover hard again before he had even become entirely soft. 

Harry was relentless, stretching and sucking at his lover, teasing the sensitive tip of Steve’s cock until the older man was almost screaming with pleasure, begging for Harry to stop because it was all becoming too much, every single one of his nerve endings having been stimulated and teased until he couldn’t take it anymore. 

“Please, Harry,” Steve pleaded desperately, gripping at the headboard so tightly that without much warning, except for a low, ominous creak, the wooden headboard of the bed cracked in his hands. Steve neither seemed to notice or care as he begged with Harry to take him. 

Lost in the moment, Harry withdrew his fingers from Steve, moving so that he was level with his lover and claiming his lips in a passionate kiss, reaching for the lube again. He unclicked the lid while never breaking the kiss, moving the tube between them and squeezing some on to his erection. Before Harry could coat himself however, Steve’s hand was there to do it for him. Harry gasped at the unexpected contact, having to pull away from the kiss and bit down on his lower lip to keep in control of himself. 

“Stop or I’m going to come,” Harry managed to gasp out, looking directly into Steve’s stunning, lust filled, blue eyes. The older man nodded, removing his hands and smearing the unwanted lube on to the sheets without a second thought as Harry positioned himself so that his cock was lined up to his lover’s well prepared entrance. 

Harry was used to this, he often took control, his trust issues hadn’t allowed for him to bottom to anyone in a long time. He could count on one hand the list of men whom he had felt comfortable submitting to so he knew exactly what he was doing as he pushed himself slowly inside of his lover. 

Steve was not the first virgin Harry had slept with and he knew how to make it a memorable experience for him. Steve had already come twice and had so far the two of them had destroyed two items of furniture today, not bad considering it was only lunchtime. 

When he was fully inside of his lover, Harry held himself there, his biceps trembling with the effort of holding himself up, a layer of sweat coating his skin. He wanted to make sure that he wasn’t causing his lover any pain or discomfort before continuing. Harry watched as Steve relaxed, getting accustomed to having someone inside of him. Only when he felt his older lover fully release the tension in his muscles did Harry start to move, angling his hips so that with each thrust he hit the little bundle of nerves inside of Steve, causing him to arch his back and bare down upon Harry as he pushed himself inside of his lover. 

On the fourth brush against Steve’s prostate he came, exploding all over the two of them, his muscles clenching around Harry who needed little more encouragement before he too was tipped over the edge, spilling himself into his lover. Unable to hold himself up any longer, Harry collapsed on top of Steve, breathing heavily and lacking the energy to even pull out. 

Neither of them had been tired before their mid day romp, but neither of them saw the point of fighting to stay awake when sleep was pulling them in. Without saying anything, Steve drew his arms around his smaller lover and held him as the two of them drifted off to sleep. 

\----------------------x

Steve was the first one to wake later in the afternoon. For a moment he felt a little disorientated, unused to sleeping during the day, however, he soon realised where he was and who he was with and this seemed to relax him. Harry was cuddled into his side still fast asleep and he couldn’t help but watch the younger man. 

He became absolutely mesmerized by the defined cheek bones, ruffled raven hair, the faint pink lightning shaped scar on his lovers forehead and the puffy lips that were still a little swollen from their kisses, the lower one looking a little gnawed on. 

He had no idea what it was that Harry needed to tell him or indeed any of the potential horror’s that the young man was concealing but it worried him. He desperately wanted to know what Harry had been through to make him the way he was, it was almost tempting enough to wake him up to find out. However, it wasn’t something Steve could do, Harry looked so peaceful. 

They had only known each other three days and yet there was an undeniable feeling in Steve’s stomach, like it was doing somersaults constantly whenever he thought about Harry or saw him or was genuinely around him. He knew without a doubt that he never wanted to be parted from him but at the same time he knew that this wasn’t exactly normal. 

Bucky he had known for a long time, the feelings he had had for his childhood friend had developed over time. Peggy he had thought as of an attractive female, he had known that she was the kind of woman his parents had always wanted him to marry but it wasn’t until after the serum that he had started to feel intensely towards her and even then it was nothing close to this. The war had stopped anything happening between them and it had also stopped him from developing serious feelings for her as well. Harry however… it had been three days and he was almost certain that he was in love with him.

“You look to be thinking very hard,” Harry murmured sleepily, stifling back a yawn as he snuggled into Steve, placing soft kisses upon his chest. “What you thinking about?”

“You, us… whatever it is you had to get permission to tell me,” Steve said softly, staring into the beautiful emerald eyes that seemed to be alight with emotion. 

“Well unless you want to go another round, I could… you know… tell you,” Harry said with a small sigh, “but I know what would be more fun.” 

“I want us to last, Harry, it isn’t going to if we can’t be honest with one another,” Steve said seriously. “We can either have lots of amazingly mind blowing sex and fail in a few weeks or we can start talking to one another and we can have that amazingly mind blowing sex for the rest of our lives.” 

“You make an excellent point, Captain,” Harry said with a smile, tracing light patterns across his lover’s chest. “One question first though,” he said, looking up at Steve imploringly, “you really think the sex is amazingly mind blowing?” 

“Don’t you?” Steve asked, suddenly concerned. He had never thought about it before but he supposed that his inexperience counted against him. He hadn’t considered that he might be bad in bed in comparison to someone with Harry’s level of sexual experience.

“Honestly, Cap,” Harry said with a smile playing on his lips, “this is the best sex I’ve had in my life,” he said honestly. There was something about this large, muscular man that Harry couldn’t explain but the two of them connected and it made everything better between them. 

“Will you talk to me then?” Steve asked, feeling a little smug with what Harry had just told him. He’d seen the reactions that his lover had had but to hear him say the words was something else entirely. 

“I honestly don’t know where to start,” Harry said truthfully, sitting up in the bed and crossing his legs, ensuring that part of the duvet covered his modesty. Steve remained lying down, looking up at the smaller man, a little concerned with the seriousness in which he spoke. 

“The beginning,” Steve suggested, watching Harry closely. He was playing with the edge of the duvet, fiddling with it nervously and determinedly not looking at him either. 

“Well, there are two beginnings I guess, the first when my parents were killed when I was fifteen months old and sent to live with my aunt and uncle but I didn’t know anything back then. It really started when I was eleven and a half giant broke down the front door to the place we were staying and told me that I was a wizard.” 

It took them until late into the evening before Harry had finished telling Steve everything. Of course Steve had had so many questions, all of which Harry had answered for him. There were a few things that he had kept hidden, including his abusive past with his Aunt and Uncle, that was something he wasn’t ready to reveal just yet. Harry told Steve more than he intended to tell the rest of the Avenger’s, something he made perfectly clear. 

“But you’re telling me everything?” Steve asked, a little shocked that he didn’t plan on being this honest with the others, though a little grateful for the fact that Harry trusted him with this. He was also taken aback that Harry was opening himself up and spilling his life to him so openly. Whomever he had gone to speak to this morning it seemed to have done the trick. 

“Yes, because you’re right, I want this to last between us and you need to know who I am, what I’ve done,” Harry said sadly, “Because now you have the choice, now that you know what I’m capable of, how damaged I’ve become because of it, you don’t have to be with me.” 

“You’re a war hero Harry, why would I not want to be with you?” Steve asked, pulling Harry to him and holding him close, giving him a kiss to the top of his head, “Does this seem as if I don’t want to be with you?” 

“But I killed someone,” Harry said, pulling back enough so that he could look Steve in the eyes as he said this, “I became famous for surviving a murder attempt and then murdering someone who had tortured and killed countless people that I… that I loved. People all over the world now love me for that and I can’t understand why.” 

“Because you saved them, Harry… the people here, they love me for much the same reason; though I neither appreciate nor crave it, unlike some on this team who seem to thrive off it,” Steve said with a sigh. “It doesn’t make you a terrible person, it makes you brave and courageous beyond your years. You should never be ashamed of what you’ve done.” 

“But I am, I never wanted to kill anyone, not even… him,” Harry said, studying Steve closely, trying to work out if his confession of his sins could really be going this well. He knew that the two of them had a lot on common when it came to their pasts but Harry had never thought that Steve would take it quite as well as this. 

“And that right there is what proves what a good person you are,” Steve pointed out, leaning down to capture Harry’s lips in a chaste kiss. “You did what you had to, I understand that, I really do,” he said, holding Harry’s head in one hand, stroking his cheek with his thumb. “Is this why you don’t let people get close?” he asked curiously, studying Harry closely, wanting to know if this was why he had shut himself off for so long. 

Harry chuckled. “What are you, my psychologist?” he asked, trying to lighten the mood and deflect from the question, not sure if he was ready to give Steve an honest answer to that just yet. 

“Harry…” Steve said with a sigh, recognising Harry’s deflection and wanting it known that he wasn’t going to allow for him to dodge the difficult questions that easily. Steve had meant it when he had said that he wanted what they had to last. 

“I don’t know, okay? I just…” Harry hesitated, not knowing how he could put it so that Steve would understand. “How many girls or guys could you sleep with if you walked out there and just asked them? Hundreds, thousands of them, I bet.” His tone wasn’t accusatory or anything like that, he just wanted to make a point. 

“I don’t know, I never thought about it, I never tried…” Steve said honestly, a little taken aback by this question. It was not something he had considered, he didn’t exactly approve when Tony did it that was for sure. The thought of taking advantage of someone like that made him feel a little sick to his stomach. 

“I did, when I was at my lowest I asked and they accepted, and none of it was real, they didn’t want me; they wanted who they thought I was…” Harry said sadly. “They wanted their hero and I’m not a hero, I never thought I was. They chose me and I did what I had to do to survive. Now I can’t forget and they won’t let me.” 

“Well… you don’t have to be anything you don’t want to be when you’re here, not with me at least, be the man you want to be, the man I know you are, I won’t judge you,” Steve promised. He meant it too, he didn’t want Harry to put on a mask or to pretend when they were together, he wanted for it to be real, he wanted them to be honest with one another, just like this and simply be together. 

“And when I tell the others? What happens then?” Harry asked, making eye contact and keeping it. He needed to know that Steve would stand by him when he told the others what he was. He wouldn’t be telling them everything that he had told Steve but they needed to know what he was at the very least. 

“I’ll stand by your side, hold your hand and support you. What you forget sometimes is that each of them has their own past, their own secrets, their own regrets. We’re all human, even Thor to some extent despite the fact that he’s an alien, none of us are entirely proud of what we’ve done to get where we are today.”

“But they are all going to expect great things from me, expect me to be this war hero just like the people back in the wizarding world do,”Harry said, hating that being here, which had been such a relief to begin with, a place where no one knew him, was turning out to be just like being at home. He wasn’t sure he would be able to take it if his relationship with Steve became tainted. 

“I don’t know,” Steve said with a hint of amusement to his tone, “I think Clint and Natasha would be quite happy to continue to think of you as a hopeless annoyance,” Steve said with a small smile and a wink, wanting to lighten the mood a little between them. 

“I feel as if I am, I can’t even get my wand out and use it properly,” Harry said, glad that finally someone knew and he could talk to them openly about it. Steve had been a little surprised about the bracelets, though he had noticed that Harry had never once removed them from his wrists. 

“Harry, you already did,” Steve joked, finding it easy to show his real self when it was just the two of them and he knew that there was no one watching them. Especially when they were completely naked and in bed with one another; Steve truly felt as if there were no secrets here. 

“Not in that way, you idiot,” Harry said fondly, liking how open and affectionate Steve was when they were alone together. Somehow when they were with the others Steve became more sullen and less himself almost, Harry rather liked the man that Steve became when they were alone. 

“Harry, you are amazing and special, with or without your wand out,” Steve said with a smile on his face as Harry gave him a playful smack to the shoulder, grinning at him. 

“Mr Stark would like me to inform you that dinner is on the table,” Jarvis suddenly announced to the two of them making them both jump a little. 

“He didn’t cook it did he, Jarvis?” Harry asked, looking a little worried. He wasn’t sure that he would be able to trust Tony’s cooking, a man who couldn’t even make coffee and had to send out to Starbucks for his caffeine fixes. 

“No he did not, Sir, he sent out for it,” Jarvis informed them and at this Harry looked a little relieved. Steve smiled at this, though in truth he had been thinking the same thing. 

“You know, we could always skip dinner and just spend the time-” however Harry never got to finish his sentence, Steve giving Harry a rather stern glare, shaking his head. 

“You barely ate breakfast, we skipped lunch, we’re not skipping dinner as well,” Steve said firmly. As much as he was in favour of having a lot of sex with Harry, neither of them were going to last much into the night without some form of sustenance. Plus he knew that it would be good for them to show their faces.

“Okay but tonight, just you and me again,” Harry said with a smile as he leaned forward and pressed his lips to Steve’s, meaning for it to be a brief kiss, however, Steve had other ideas, threading his fingers through Harry’s messy hair and deepening the kiss.

\-----------------x

“Are you going to tell them this evening?” Steve asked as the two of them travelled up to the communal area in the lift, where the others were waiting for them. They were holding hands with one another, Harry leaning into Steve, just wanting to be close to him. 

“I think that it’ll be for the best,” Harry said with a sigh, unsure about whether he wanted to. It had been a tough day already, talking to Kingsley and then telling Steve; however, he knew that the others deserved to know and there really was no reason to keep putting it off. 

“Do you know how much you want them to know?” Steve asked. He knew that Harry wasn’t going to share everything that he had shared with him but he didn’t want to put his foot in it and say something he wasn’t meant to. This was really something they should have discussed before leaving their room, however, both of them were keen to eat after skipping lunch and had only just managed to make themselves look presentable and detach themselves from one another before getting in the lift. Though Harry had made sure that he was wearing his belt, it was almost like a safety blanket for him. 

“I haven’t worked that out yet,” Harry said with a sigh; he wasn’t even sure he should tell them, Steve had taken it well enough but the others might not. Then, of course, Thor wasn’t there and he would need to know and it wouldn’t be great repeating himself but then Harry had realised that he was just making excuses. This needed to be done and he couldn’t wimp out about it, not if he wanted this mission over with. The Avenger’s needed to know what he was and what he had done. 

When the lift doors opened, all of Harry’s plans changed when he spotted an unknown woman sat at the dinning table next to Thor who he hadn’t expected to be there. It was a little peculiar to see that Thor had changed out of his sleeveless armour and red cape to wear jeans, t-shirt and shirt. 

Harry stalled when he saw the strange woman sat there, hanging back a little, wanting to evaluate what was going on. He had not received a file on her, he knew nothing about her at all and therefore he was suspicious. Steve didn’t appear to know her either, judging by the way he was looking at her with just as much suspicion as Harry. 

“Finally, they come up for air,” Tony said with a laugh from his place at the head of the table. He was sure that they had been having sex again, even if Jarvis had locked him out of the surveillance of Steve’s floor, where Clint has told him they had gone. 

“Yeah, we’re going to be needing a new bed, we kinda broke the other one… also the punching bag needs to be fixed, we broke that too,” Harry said with a grin. Tony now looked between the two of them absolutely dumbfounded as to how they had managed this. 

“I’m surprised you can still walk Harry,” Tony said, absolutely astonished, “How did you manage to break the punching bag having sex?” He was curious now and more than a little annoyed that he hadn’t been able to watch. 

“Who says I bottom,” Harry returned cheekily as he took a seat in one of the vacant chairs; he didn’t miss the sceptical looks that Natasha and Clint shared, but he honestly didn’t care what their thoughts on his relationship were. 

“I saw you remember,” Tony said with a wink. He was rather enjoying teasing the new couple, it was far too easy to do. Bruce was clearly trying not to be too amused by this, studying his curry with intense fascination as he moved rice around his plate, but Harry could see him smiling. 

“Harry, that is enough,” Steve said taking a seat beside his lover, not wanting their sex life to be broadcast for all of the team to hear. Everyone was present, including the strange girl who no one had bothered to introduce yet. He needed for his team mates to respect him, not to be gossiping about what he was like in bed and how much furniture they could break while going at it. 

“You heard the man, no more talking about our sex life,” Harry said, giving Steve a brief kiss to the cheek before turning his eyes to the girl next to Thor, keen to change the subject given how obviously uncomfortable it made Steve. “I’m Harry, and you are…?”

“This is Jane, she is my woman,” Thor said, clearly very proud of this fact. Jane, however, seemed less than impressed with being referred to in this manner. 

Steve was starting to dish out food ignoring the others, first serving Harry and then putting some on his own plate, knowing that they both needed to eat. He was famished, he needed his meals, the serum seemed to have affected his appetite fairly seriously and skipping lunch had not done him any good, especially not replacing it with so much vigorous exercise. 

“Girlfriend,” Jane corrected giving Thor a stern glare, “It’s nice to meet you, Harry,” she added with a smile. She was actually feeling rather nervous about being around these people, she had witnessed what they were capable of on the television during the Battle of New York, she had never imagined that she would ever meet them, certainly not all at once. 

“No offense or anything but why are you here?” Harry asked, not sure why she had been brought here. Natasha and Clint seemed just as weary of her as they had been of him when he had first arrived. Neither of them even looking in her direction, seemingly unimpressed with Jane’s presence at the dinner table. It gave Harry a flare of hope that their reaction to him wasn’t anything personal, they just didn’t like newcomers. 

“Sexual relief?” Tony suggested, causing Jane to glare at him this time. She wasn’t impressed with Tony Stark’s particular brand of humour. She chose not to pass any comment on what he had said, thinking that ignoring the egocentric man was the only way to deal with him. 

“I found something about your sphere,” she said beaming proudly at Harry, “I wanted to bring my books but travelling by lightening doesn’t exactly give a baggage allowance,” she explained, rambling in a way that only she seemed to be able to manage. 

“What did you find out?” Harry asked, momentarily a little surprised that this tiny woman was actually there for some reason more than that she had managed to seduce the Thunder God. Harry was keen to hear what she had to say, warming up to her quickly now that it was clear that she was there to contribute; she had an integrity about her that reminded him a little of Hermione and he could certainly see why Thor liked her. 

“From what Thor has told me I believe we’re dealing with the eight sphere’s of ionsú,” she told them. “There is the one that contains the power.”

“The one that I found,” Harry said with understanding. He wasn’t sure where she was getting her information from but she sounded so sure and in truth it sounded a lot more likely to Harry than the sphere being some kind of alien device. 

“I believe so,” Jane confirmed with a nod. “The other seven, they serve as the key to opening the eighth when they come together. The references to it are all a little vague, and from some old texts, but from what I can tell, without the other seven the eighth is useless, except that it can duplicate whatever power or ability the person touching it has, absorbing it.” 

“But we can’t be sure how many of these other seven Loki has,” Bruce pointed out. He was sure that if Loki was anywhere close to having the other seven then he would be more seriously trying to get Harry to give him the eighth sphere. 

“We should probably assume he has them all, until we know otherwise,” Steve said firmly. Loki might not have tried to take Harry yet but that didn’t mean he didn’t have what he wanted, he might just not have known where Harry was. They couldn’t take any chances, not where Harry was concerned. 

“Probably wise, given how dangerous they could be,” Jane agreed. “Though the spheres on their own have no power, not even when together are they dangerous; they only possess the energy. The power and the danger comes when someone uses the energy and channels it into themselves. There are stories dating back centuries of people absorbing the power and going mad from it, their bodies not equipped to deal with it.”

“Loki is no mortal,” Thor stated. “He would be able.” Mortals were full of mythological lore like this, it was laughable that they thought themselves powerful enough to handle power beyond their own imaginations. 

“That is what concerns me,” Harry said with a frown, “Thor can you fight him, could you kill him if Loki took on all this power?” He wasn’t sure how powerful the Thunder God was or if he would even be able to kill his own brother if it came down to it. Harry wouldn’t judge him if he couldn’t because he knew that if it came down to it he wouldn’t be able to kill George. The Weasley’s had lost enough, Molly for one would not be able to survive the loss of another of her children. 

“Of course he wouldn’t,” Clint said with certainty, “This sphere thing has your power,” he added, glaring at Harry, angry that he had asked this question, “I’ve felt what you can do and there is no fighting it.” The pain flooding every nerve ending in his body had been unbearable and if Harry could do that then he was wondering what else he was possible of. He was sure that Harry was capable of all number of horrific things and the last thing they needed was for Loki to get hold of this power. 

“Just because you’re too weak to fight it,” Harry snapped. “I’ve had that curse cast on me more than a few times in my life and I can fight it off.” He was not in the mood to deal with bitchy team mates. They had needed proof that he could fight, he had given it to them and now they were bitchy because they didn’t like how powerful he was. Harry really couldn’t be bothered to deal with it. 

“Not even Hulk would be able to fight that off,” Clint said bitterly. He sounded unhappy and a little defeated, he looked over to Natasha curiously when he felt a hand upon his knee, trying to reassure him. She smiled at him softly before turning away, not wanting to make it obvious what they were doing. 

“Nothing keeps the other guy down,” Bruce grumbled, unsure if Harry truly understood the capabilities of the Hulk. He hadn’t had the pleasure of meeting the other guy after all. Though the scientist in him was truly tempted to test it out and see if Harry was the answer to finally giving him some relief. 

“I think I could with the right… words,” Harry said with a sigh, thinking that they were getting off track and they needed to refocus rather than carry on bickering over insignificant things. Harry wanted to tell them what he was but he wasn’t sure that he could, not when they felt so bitter towards him and what he was capable of. 

“No chance,” Tony said with disbelief. It wasn’t that he thought Harry incapable but he knew what Bruce was capable of in his other form, hell the man had chewed up a bullet when he had tried to kill himself. Tony wasn’t sure what Harry was but he didn’t think that even he would be able to put down the green guy. 

“I wouldn’t be so sure, Tony,” Steve said, thinking about all that Harry had told him earlier. He could feel the tension in the room and he wasn’t exactly comfortable with it. His hand reached for Harry’s beneath the table, food forgotten for the moment. They clutched to one another, their fingers linked together. 

“What do you know that we don’t?” Natasha asked, glaring at Steve accusingly. She could see in the way that he spoke that he knew something that they didn’t. Harry had told him something and Natasha wanted to know, she didn’t like being kept in the dark. 

“He told me what he is,” Steve confirmed, feeling Harry squeeze his hand under the table in warning. Harry didn’t want Steve to take the heat on this, it was his secret to tell, he needed to be the one to tell it. 

“Steve, don’t, I need to be the one,” Harry said, giving his lover a sad look. He really didn’t want to tell them, not like this, not when they were bickering amongst themselves, however he knew that he couldn’t procrastinate on this. They needed to know the truth so that they could defeat Loki and end the nightmare. 

“I know, I’m sorry but they need to know,” Steve said giving harry’s hand a reassuring squeeze right back, also smiling softly at him, wanting to gather the smaller man into his arms and hold him. It had clearly been difficult for Harry to recount everything when it was just the two of them together, however in a larger group it would only be harder. 

“I’m…” Harry began, meaning to just tell them and answer whatever questions they had as they came at him, however before he could finish what he was saying their was a loud crack that ripped through the air and the lights went out plunging them into near darkness. The sun had just begun to set and was casting a weird light into the tower but regardless it took a few moments for their eyes to all adjust. 

All of them were on their feet in a second as their eyes became adjusted to the lack of light and they realised that there were two new and unwelcome figures amongst them. Everyone froze, not knowing what to do or who it was. No one was meant to be able to get into the tower without Tony specifically giving them access. 

These thoughts were suddenly gone however as a horrible rasping sound started coming from Tony who was clutching at his chest and struggling to breath. He fell to his knees, the arc reactor in his chest starting to fade.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, naughty author, leaving it on a cliffhanger... I'm writing the next chapter as we speak though so encourage me to keep going and leave a comment.


	10. Vanishing Act

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will Tony survive?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that I was evil to leave you on that cliffhanger, which is why I worked very hard to get this chapter to you. Hope you enjoy it.

The Affliction of War

Chapter 10

It took a matter of seconds before the backup generators kicked in and the emergency lights to come on, giving them enough light to see who it was that had rather suddenly appeared before them. Tony, however, was still struggling to draw breath but no one was rushing to help him, everyone’s eyes on the two new additions to the room trying to evaluate how much danger they were in.

No one knew what was going on, all of them filled with uncertainty and fear. Loki had caused them a whole world of trouble the last time he had been in New York, the fact that he was back and had found another to control was enough to be fear inducing for even the Avengers. 

Harry knew exactly what had happened, even if the others didn’t; they had apperated in. It was why the power had failed and it was why Tony was dying right beside them and there was nothing they could do about it. Magic and technology just didn’t mix well. He just didn’t know what to do about it. Harry had his bracelets which made it possible to use his magic without causing these types of problems, however with Tony in the state he was it might have been best not to over use his magic, bracelets or not, just in case. The last thing Harry wanted was to make Tony worse. 

“George,” Harry said with disbelief and sadness, looking at his best friend’s brother as if he had never seen him before. George looked terrible, a shell of his former self. If Harry had been told that George had done a stint in Azkaban then he wouldn’t have been surprised but Harry knew that that wasn’t the case, George was simply grieving for his brother. Nine years of greif would destroy anyone. It had completely consumed George. 

Harry had seen the photos, the proof that George was with Loki, helping him, but he hadn’t truly believed it until now, when the proof was right in front of him looking sad and pathetic, clutching at his wand desperately and pointing it at Harry, who hadn’t thought that George would ever willingly go up against him in this way. For so long they had been brothers in every way but blood, he wasn’t sure how it had come to this. 

“I’m sorry, Harry, I had to,” George said, unable to look him in the eye. “He said he could give me Fred back, he said he could bring him back for me.” There was true sadness in his voice as he spoke and it made Harry’s heart break to hear it. He had spent last Christmas with the Weasley’s, everyone had been there, everyone but George and now he understood why. 

“Nothing can reawaken the dead, George, you know this,” Harry said as Natasha moved slowly towards Tony, never taking her eyes from Loki and George. He was still struggling to breath and the arc reactor in his chest was near enough dead. None of them had their weapons, they hadn’t been prepared for this, they had believed themselves safe in their home. Harry was just hoping that Clint and Natasha were not completely weaponless. 

Of course they had Bruce but letting the Hulk loose in Avenger’s tower had to be a last resort, there was the possibility of so many injuries if Bruce hulked out, if possible it was something that they needed to avoid. Even as Harry thought this he saw that Bruce was edging away from the fight towards Tony as well, just as Natasha was. 

“He isn’t part of our world, Harry, he could do it,” George insisted. He didn’t want to believe that he had placed all his hope in a man that was lying to him. He hadn’t been the same since his twin had died, he needed Fred back or he needed to join him. At this point he didn’t care which it was and this was how he saw himself doing just that. 

“It’s not possible, George,” Harry said; he could feel Steve at his back and could see Clint a metre or so away, but it wasn’t going to be enough. “Please don’t do this,” he pleaded. Harry didn’t think that he would be able to fight George, not if it came to it. He couldn’t go to Molly and Arthur and tell them that he had killed George, not after everything they had been through. 

“I have to try,” George said sadly. There was nothing he wouldn’t do to bring his brother back, even side with someone against Harry, a man whom he had the greatest of respect for. Whatever happened now he would not regret his choice to try. George didn’t care who stood in his way, he and Fred were going to be reunited again one way or another. 

“He’s dying,” Natasha said to the group but Harry knew that she wouldn’t say this without reason, it was not through concern that she was telling them this. She had finally managed to get to him and so had Bruce but Tony was still struggling to breath, though Harry could hear him trying to tell them something, he really hoped it was a way to save his life. 

“It’s magic, they used magic to get in and any form of technology won’t work around it. They conflict too much, we all have to leave or he’s going to die,” Harry said looking at George accusingly. He was talking more to Steve than to anyone else though, he needed him to know what was happening and what he had to do to fix it. 

Steve had no clue about the portkey Harry was wearing around his waist but he was aware that Harry had the ability to transport himself places instantly if was needed. Steve wasn’t too clear on all of the details but he knew that it was possible. 

Clint was confused at the mention of magic, not having been told what Harry was but he was trusting the young man to know what he was doing. He had not taken his eyes off Loki, who was grinning like the psycho that he was. Clint hated Loki with a passion, if he got the chance then he was going to kill him without hesitation. 

“If you want us to leave and save the man of Iron, then come with us now,” Loki said, offering out his hand towards Harry invitingly. 

“Do not do this brother,” Thor said; he was stood further back than Clint, Harry and Steve, protecting Jane, shielding her with one of his large muscular biceps. He didn’t want her to be caught in the crossfire. Loki dropped his hand, glaring at his brother as if he was a tiresome child and nothing more. 

Harry knew that he had to protect them all because otherwise a lot of people were going to die. He had no idea what Loki could do but he knew what George was capable of, especially after nine years of grief consuming him. Without his twin, George had become a twisted and mutated form of his previous self and Harry couldn’t be certain that he wouldn’t kill each and every one of them just for the small chance that he might get his brother back. 

“You still place such value on the lives of these mortals,” Loki said, taking a few calm steps closer to his brother. “You give them their freedom, yet condemn your own brother to a life of imprisonment.”

“How did you escape?” Thor demanded, glaring at his little brother needing to know because until he did he would not rest easy. “Who aided you?”

“Who says I had aid,” Loki said with a knowing smirk and a mischievous glint in his eyes. Harry took the opportunity while Loki was distracted to make eye contact with George, he needed a distraction, he needed to leave because he knew that Loki and George would follow him. It was him that they wanted, to save Tony’s life he was going to have to leave. 

Harry knew what type of person that Loki was within an instant of meeting him, it didn’t take a genius to figure it out. The man practically reeked of narcissism and Harry had dealt with so many people just like him so he knew how to play into Loki’s weaknesses. 

“Look at him, he doesn’t need aid,” Harry said, switching his focus from George to Loki now, his old friend was not the priority, nor was he the danger here it was Loki that he needed to focus on now because only if he could get Loki’s attention could he save Tony. 

“Harry, what are you doing?” Steve hissed into his lovers ear, confused as to what was happening. He had joked around and called Harry casanova but this was seriously going too far, to flirt with Loki. 

Harry turned to Steve and mouthed ‘trust me,’ to him before turning his attention back to the God of mischief and smiling, taking a step forward, separating himself from the rest of the avengers. Harry didn’t want to hurt Steve but he knew that this was the only way for them all to get out of this alive, even Tony, who wasn’t doing so good. 

“Your brother is one attractive man but you, wow,” Harry said with a smile as he took another step closer, sweeping his gaze up and down Loki’s body, appreciating it fully. 

Loki chuckled in amusement; he was smart enough to know exactly what Harry was doing, the young man had no subtlety at all. Though if luring him away from the Avengers by pretending to fall for the false flattery would work, then he was more than willing to reciprocate the flirting. From the dark, almost black hair and startling green eyes, Harry looked a lot like him and that was something Loki found very attractive in a person. 

“Finally you find an ally with good taste, Thor, perhaps I underestimated you,” Loki said, his eyes fixed on Harry as a sinister smile spread across his face. “Attractive too, though he looks rather familiar; perhaps I am being replaced with this younger, more innocent version. Should I be offended, brother?”

“I dunno, you seem to have worn your extra years well,” Harry said, as though giving it serious thought. “Besides, Thor had nothing to do with my arrival here and my appearance is merely a bonus they get to experience. You could experience it too if you’re up for it.”

“What an intriguing thought,” Loki said with a smile. “One we should explore,” he added offering out his hand for Harry to take once again. Steve who had been tensed and on the verge of losing control with every flirtatious comment was barely able to stand it as Harry looked at the out stretched hand, clearly wondering whether or not to take it. 

“Harry, this is insane, what are you doing!?” Steve said taking a step towards Harry, wanting to stop whatever his lover was doing. Whatever was going on he didn’t like it and he had a feeling that it was going to end badly. He wanted Harry safe in his arms, not on the verge of going willingly with Loki. 

“I’m doing the right thing,” Harry said, trying to sound cold and detached but failing miserably. He didn’t want to hurt Steve emotionally but he didn’t want him to get physically hurt either. The less Steve felt towards him the better now because there was no way that he could stay here. “If you want to play, Loki, you’re going to have to catch me first.” 

As Harry said this he had a glint in his eyes, George reacted first firing a stunning spell at Harry as he activated the portkey around his waist. Clint didn’t really understand what this red-head was doing anymore than he understood the things that Harry could do, but he knew that Harry needed protecting from it, and so it was almost instinctive when he threw himself in Harry’s direction, arms wrapping around the smaller man’s waist and knocking him out of the way of the jet of red light. 

Steve and Thor instantly both moved to try and protect Harry too, Jane having gone to help aid Tony, however the second that Clint and Harry touched the ground the pair of them vanished, as though they had never been there at all, and the backup lights sparked and crackled, before failing and plunging them into darkness once more. “HARRY!” Steve shouted.

“Damn it,” George cursed, “He must have had a portkey,” they heard him say in the darkness. The twilight was casting an eerie glow into the kitchen, dining area which made it extremely hard to see. Before the lights had gone out they had all seen Harry and Clint vanish from right before their eyes, they all knew that they were both gone. 

“Take us after him,” Loki demanded sounding enraged that Harry had been allowed to escape from them. He had been hoping for an easy extraction, it wasn’t like he wanted to hurt him, he just needed the power sphere and Harry was the only one who would be able to gain access to it. 

“He could be anywhere,” George said defeatedly, “A portkey takes you wherever it is programmed to go. I could track it down but I would have to go to the Ministry of Magic and sift through all the paperwork and that’s only if it was a registered portkey and he had permission to have it.” Although he was trying to explain, George knew that the explanation would be a little lost on Loki, who didn’t know all the ins and outs of the wizarding world just yet. 

“What is a portkey?” Steve demanded rounding on George, needing answers, needing to know where Harry had gone. He was on the verge of panic, he didn’t know how but Harry and Clint had just vanished and he wanted to know where they had gone. He wanted Harry back, not knowing where he was or if he was in trouble or not was causing him serious anxiety. 

“We can track him down,” George said to Loki, ignoring Steve completely. Whatever Harry was doing with Steve, it wasn’t his business, he knew that Harry wasn’t the type to settle down as, to his knowledge, Harry much prefered bed hopping. If this large, attractive man had fooled himself into thinking it was something more than that then more fool him. 

“Then track him down!” Loki snarled, grabbing hold of George and at first Steve thought that he was going to hit him but then both Loki and George vanished with a loud crack, the air around them visibly crackling with magic. He was just glad that Harry had taken the time to explain these things to him rather than the two of them simply having more sex. He at least understood what had just happened, at least to some extent. 

They were now completely without power, the back up generators having now failed miserably with the amount of magic coursing through the air. Steve had started pacing, running his hands through his hair in frustration and worry, trying to work out what to do next; he was more certain than ever that something was messing with his emotions because he had never felt as out of sorts as he did right in that moment. Thor was trying to calm him, but Bruce and Natasha were focused on Tony, who was barely breathing and glistening with sweat. His usually healthy looking skin was a sickly white and his hands were visibly shaking. 

“Do you have another reactor?” Bruce demanded to know, doing what he could to keep Tony alive. They had had stay quiet before, not wanting to draw Loki’s attention to them before and risk Loki finishing Tony off for good, but now that the God of Mischief was gone, they were going to do everything they could to keep Tony alive.

Tony nodded, his movements slow and pained as he tried to point towards the liquor cabinet. “Scotch,” he gasped out, gesturing towards the bar, “top shelf, far end.” The looks that he received from Natasha and Jane were priceless, if he hadn’t have been dying then he would have wished that he had a camera to capture the moment. 

Thor watched as Jane, Natasha and Bruce took care of Tony, not wanting to stray too far from Steve, concerned what the super soldier would do in the frantic state he had managed to work himself into since Harry had vanished right in front of them. Loss of a loved one, as he well knew, was devastating. They had no idea where Harry and Clint were or if they were even alive and Thor just didn’t know how best to keep control of Steve when he was so close to losing it. 

“Now is really not the time for a drink,” Bruce said with exasperation and slight annoyance, ignoring Natasha as she hurried off in the direction Tony had pointed wanting to know if he really was suicidal and refusing to help or if there was a reason why he had requested that particular bottle. “Where’s the reactor?” Bruce asked again, working on removing the now completely dead one imbedded in the Tony’s chest.

He had to be careful, he didn’t know the ins and outs of how the arc reactor worked but he knew without it in his chest, Tony would have only minutes to live. He was on the brink of passing out already so he knew he had to work quickly. Bruce was only thankful that he had taken some time to look into the technology keeping Tony alive, having found it fascinating, now he was finding it life savingly useful. 

“Just tell him where the reactor is, Stark!” Steve shouted, losing his patience and his temper. He needed to figure out how he was going to find Harry, but he had no idea where to start and he was furious that Tony was wasting their time right now. He was angry at Harry too, they could have protected him, he didn’t have to leave and certainly not without telling them where he was going. It was only fortunate that Clint had gone too, they might not have got on well but at least Clint would protect Harry. 

Thor remained close, ready to stop him if Steve became too out of control. As it was he watched as Captain America strode across the room and slammed his fist into a wall, sending it straight through the plaster. The first time everyone turned to look to see what had happened, the second and third time however they just let him. None of them had realised the strength of Steve’s feelings towards Harry but this was clearly affecting him more than was normal. 

“Here,” Tony said, his voice weak and shaky as he accepted the bottle Natasha had returned to his side holding; but rather than even trying to open it, he smashed it into the ground next to him. Jane jumped back, startled, not sure what he was doing but then realised what had been contained within. 

“The reactor,” Bruce said with understanding, as he saw what had been hidden inside the now destroyed bottle, quickly retrieving it from the shattered glass and puddle of amber coloured liquid. The reactor had been safely contained in a clear wrapper, which he hurriedly removed, feeling rather grateful that he knew what he was doing as he began to maneuver it into Tony’s chest.

“Metal man, will you live?” Thor asked as he came forward, still keeping one eye on Steve who was still furiously trying to tear down the wall with his fists. 

“Yes,” Tony said as Bruce finished installing his new arc reactor. He was confused as to how the other had failed. He needed to find out because he needed to be sure that this one wouldn’t do the same. He had had a few hidden around the areas he frequented most, just in case something like this happened and now he was glad that he did. 

“We need to find them,” Natasha said, casting a glance over to Steve, worried about him. She had never seen him like this before; they needed to talk to Fury or at least make him aware of the situation. They might need his help tracking Harry and Clint down, and he might at least have some idea where they had gone. 

“Agreed,” Bruce said, knowing exactly where her concerns lay. “I can handle Tony, perhaps you should alert Director Fury of this new development,” Bruce suggested. He too thought that Nick needed to know what had just happened but he thought this because he thought that perhaps he might have some insight to the meeting that Harry had had that had encouraged him to open up to Steve. Steve, afterall, was not in any state to tell them anything, another thing that Fury might be able to help them with.

Natasha nodded, getting to her feet and heading for the stairwell. With the power offline it was the only way she was getting to Fury and it was a long way down. 

\------------------------x

The second that Harry and Clint landed, Harry vomited, his stomach emptying their contents on to the ground. He had never been a fan of magical travel but over the years he had become more used to it and more graceful when he did it too. He had no idea why he had vomited but it made him feel a little lightheaded and entirely out of sorts, his stomach feeling tight and rather uncomfortable. 

“You okay?” Clint grunted as he struggled to his feet, though it took him a few moments. He had been thrown by the sudden portkey and he had to take a minute to adjust himself to his new surroundings, unclear about how he had come to be there but knowing that protecting Harry was his priority. 

They had landed somewhere familiar to Clint at least, they were under the cover of some trees and shrubbery, out of sight of anyone who might not have been as relaxed about seeing two people suddenly appearing out of nowhere. However Clint had recognised the place they were instantly as Washington Monument. 

“Yeah,” Harry said, still struggling a little bit but wanting to save face in front of Clint, “I’ll be fine,” he added as he wiped his mouth, the stale taste of bile lingering in his mouth. “You okay?” he asked a moment later realising that Clint might be more than a little shaken considering what he had just done. 

“Fine,” he said as he finally managed to stand steadily on his own two feet. Harry was still using Clint to brace himself on however, his stomach still feeling uncomfortably tight. “What just happened?” 

“It’s what my people call a portkey,” Harry explained, now too taking a moment to look around and figure out where they had arrived. When the portkey had activated he had been thinking of this tall monument thing that he had always wanted to come and visit, not that he knew where that was, he just knew that it was in America. 

“Your people?” Clint asked, a little confused. He wasn’t entirely sure what a portkey was or who Harry was even, he just knew that he didn’t ever want to experience something like that again. It was all getting too much for him, he just needed to know about the basics and then he would be satisfied to not know any more. Whatever Harry was had the potential to be dangerous, and the unknown bothered Clint more than he cared to admit. 

“I’m a wizard,” Harry told him, “I was going to tell you tonight, if Loki hadn’t have shown up then I would have done.” Thinking of what tonight should have been gave Harry a painful lurch in his chest, he had meant to tell the other Avenger’s what he was and then spend the rest of the night with Steve, just being with him and now he had no idea how far apart they were or if they would ever see one another again. 

“A wizard,” Clint repeated, trying to take it all in. he was starting to think that maybe he was simply better off not knowing. Alien’s attacking New York and now Wizards, it was all too much for him. A year ago he hadn’t thought that there was anything beyond what he knew to be real, to be flesh and blood and now he was calling all of that into question. 

“Yes but I can’t explain here, we need to find somewhere to go, somewhere low key to hide,” Harry said, thinking that being out in the open like that wasn’t a great idea, not after what Loki had just done. Harry knew that both Loki and George would be looking for him, that was unavoidable and what he had wanted in order to get the two of them away from Steve and the other avengers, but now they just had to avoid being caught. 

“I know where there’s a safe house near by,” Clint said, thinking of all the training he had been given by S.H.I.E.L.D.; he had been programmed to follow orders by them, they had trained him to fight. He knew things now that he could never have dreamed of before S.H.I.E.L.D. had become involved in his life, including a list of safe houses at his disposal whenever he needed to lie low for a while. 

“You know where we are?” Harry questioned as Clint motioned in the direction they needed to travel and the two of them started walking. 

“Washington Monument,” Clint said, pointing at the tall white obelisk that towered above them as they came out of the undergrowth. Harry had not been paying too much attention to where they had landed before that, confused as to why they had landed where they had but now he understood. That had been the monument he had always wanted to see. it was a comfort to know that the portkey had worked.

“You are a man of few words, Clint, I like that,” Harry said with a smile as they two of them continued to walk. Clint grunted in acknowledgement but kept going, not saying anything else. Harry had been right about one thing and that was that they needed to find cover and hide for a while, lay low until they knew Loki wasn’t closing in on them. 

\----------------------x

Four hours away in New York city, the Avengers had gathered in Avengers tower, Nick Fury stood before them all and a strange man, who looked a little like Fury, to his left. Tony had managed to give Bruce directions in order to get the basic systems in the tower operational, so they at least had security systems running and weren’t sitting in the dark; Tony had wanted to do it himself but with having nearly died, the others were rather insistent that he didn’t exert himself too much. 

Pepper had been alerted to the situation but was yet to show up. After welcoming Harry to America she had had a meeting in California with some potential new clients for Stark Industries and hadn’t been able to leave. When Happy had been in contact she had informed him that she would travel back in the morning. 

They had also managed to calm Steve, something that had proved to be far more complicated than fixing the tower had been, and tend to the wounds he had inflicted upon himself. His knuckles and back of both his hands had been grazed and bloodied, though the wall had fared much worse; however, the serum would likely have the injuries healed in little time at all. 

Jane was not present at this particular meeting, she had been escorted to Thor’s level of Avenger tower and told to remain there. Coulson was keeping an eye on her just in case Loki decided to come back for whatever reason. She did not need to be present for this, this was something that they needed to discuss as a team. 

Tony had insisted on being part of the meeting, not wanting to be left out. He was sat down, still looking a little worse for wear and in need of a good rest but he was a live at least and for that he was eternally grateful. Tony was under no delusion that if Harry hadn’t left when he had then he might not be alive right now; he owed the man a debt. 

“Do you know where they went?” Steve demanded to know. It was the only information that he could really bring himself to care about at the moment. He needed to know where he was and he needed to go and get him, make sure he was safe, it was all he could think about, all he really cared about. 

“Not exactly,” Fury said with a sigh, not really knowing where to start to explain this. In truth he thought that it might be for the best, considering everything, that Harry stay hidden, even from them for the time being. The way Steve had reacted had concerned him a little and he needed to talk to him about why. 

“But Harry is perfectly capable of protecting himself, and will have gone somewhere safe,” Kingsley assured them. He didn’t know these people but he knew that Steve at the very least cared about Harry a great deal and he needed to make them all aware that Harry would not come to any harm. 

“We don’t even know who you are, and we are just supposed to believe you,” Natasha asked accusingly. She disliked new people, especially strangers; Harry had been a stranger too but now he was one of them and she was concerned about what had happened to him as well as Clint. This person, however, he was not one of them and she didn’t trust him at all. 

It didn’t help matters that Kingsley had not had time to change; he had taken an emergency portkey the second that he had heard from Nick and was still wearing his wizarding attire. His royal blue robes did nothing to allow him to blend into the crowd, but it was a miracle that he had managed to get away from the Ministry at all. 

“You know Clint would be able to protect them both even if that wasn’t true, Natasha,” Bruce pointed out, thinking that a confrontation wouldn’t help anything at the moment. They all needed answers, not to start bickering amongst themselves again. 

“We should be with him,” Steve said accusingly, looking at Kingsley as if he had done him some form of wrong. “You can bring him here or send me to him, you can do something!” he insisted and Kingsley looked at Steve with something akin to pity and sadness. 

“I could possibly put a tracking spell on him but that would not give us his exact location, there are too many variables, being in the muggle world there is too much that can go wrong. Besides, Harry would magically shield himself against those kind of things to stop the enemy from tracking him the same way. Harry has worked for me for a long time, if he wants to hide then there will be no finding him, I am sorry.” 

“I believe that Harry was attempting to draw my brother away,” Thor pointed out. “We have witnessed the great affection he has for you, Captain, and I believe this was for your protection and to save the life of the metal man.”

“I was meant to protect him,” Steve said angrily, “he shouldn’t have had to protect me or any of us, we were all meant to protect him!” Steve was getting more and more frustrated by the second, he just wanted to know that Harry was safe and unharmed. For all they knew Loki could have followed and have both Harry and Clint right now. It was a thought that turned Steve’s stomach. 

“And the best way to do that right now, is to find out all we can about what Loki is doing, what he has planned, and who else he is working with,” Fury said, trying to make Steve see reason. The other Avenger’s would not fight him on this but he knew Steve would, there were other factors affecting Steve that needed to be addressed separately. 

“You do whatever the hell you want, I’m going to find Harry,” Steve said, getting to his feet, needing to be doing something. He felt utterly useless just sat here doing nothing but talking about it. He should be out there looking for Harry not sat here doing nothing. 

“Search the world if you will, Mr Rogers, you will never find Harry until he wants to be found,” Kingsley said, his words halting Steve’s progression towards the door. 

“I’ll find him, he’d want to be found by me,” Steve insisted, sure about this. He was sure that he was in love with Harry, despite only knowing him for a short while and he had to believe that Harry felt the same. Steve had to believe that Harry would want to be with him and wouldn’t hide from him. 

“I have known Harry since he was an eleven year old boy, I have watched him grow. I have seen him sacrifice himself several times over for the people that he loved. He has literally died to protect those he cared about. If the relationship is as strong as I think it is, between the two of you, then I doubt very much that Harry would reveal himself to you; he would sacrifice his happiness to keep you safe.”

As Kingsley had spoken Steve had sunk to the ground feeling utterly broken, finally realising that he wasn’t just going to get Harry back, there wouldn’t be a quick fix here. This was going to be a full out war yet again, only this time Harry was the thing that the enemy wanted. It was someone Steve loved that the enemy wanted and to protect him, Steve would have to be away from him. The pain he felt as he realised this was unbearable, tearing him apart inside. 

“I need him, I want him more than I’ve ever wanted anything and I know that isn’t healthy but I can’t stop feeling,” Steve said sadly, feeling as pathetic as he sounded. The other avengers were looking at him, unsure what to do or how to help him. They wanted to be able to help him, to know what to do but they just didn’t. It was feeling of utter hopelessness that none of them were accustomed to and they hated it, hated not knowing what to do and how to help. 

“It’s the serum,” Fury said defeatedly. He had been concerned that this might happen. He had not had the chance to look into the affects the serum might have had on Steve. In most cases where it had been trialed the traits of the person injected were magnified. In red skull it had brought to the surface his psychotic tendencies, bringing them to the surface and amplifying them to the point that it had turned him into a psychotic killer. 

In Steve, however, the serum had taken his loyalty, his love and affection and it had done exactly the same, magnifying it. His instinct to be a soldier and follow orders, his ability to love unconditionally and loyalty to those he cared about. When it came to Harry, the fondness and affection that he would have felt towards the other man after the three days they had known each other was amplified to the point that he loved him unconditionally. 

“What do you mean it’s the serum?” Bruce asked; he had been fascinated by the work that Dr Abraham Erskine had done on the serum and the affects that it had had on Steve. He had never seen anything that could turn what Steve had once been to what he was today and not have serious side effects, like what he was experiencing himself. However, this appeared to be the side effect, the weakness in otherwise impenetrable armour. 

“Other’s have had similar versions of the serum that Steve has had,” Fury explained, his eyes never leaving the broken man that was kneeling on the floor looking utterly lost. “In each case it has taken the person that they were originally and just made it more. In Steve he had heart ,bravery and loyalty, the serum gave him the body to match his heart. His ability to love and the loyalty he feels to lose that he cares about has also been amplified. He truly does love Harry.”

“Harry won’t feel the same though,” Natasha said bluntly, knowing that Steve’s love for the new team member could be as strong as it liked for whatever reasons but that wouldn’t change the fact that Harry’s emotions would not be affected by anything and would be the same as anyone elses. 

“Not necessarily,” Kingsley said kindly. “He is a broken man; the war he fought in and the years that followed changed him. He lost many that he loved and he became guarded. I watched him almost destroy himself, I can see that he needs Steve just as much as Steve needs him, even if Harry doesn’t realise it yet.” 

“That’s why you gave him permission to tell me everything,” Steve said, looking up at Kingsley now, he seemed so lost and so sad, like he didn’t know what to do. The one thing that he did know however was that this man, he knew Harry, had known him for a long while now and he could help to find him, to bring him back and to keep him safe. 

“Yes,” Kingsley said, “if I did not think that you would be part of Harry’s world long after this battle is done then I would not have permitted him to tell you without repercussions.”

“What about the rest of us, do we get to know?” Tony asked, thinking that they all at least deserved to know something about what Harry was. Afterall they were meant to be a team, they were meant to trust each other and fight together to save the world and all the jazz. 

“I can allow for you to be told the basic’s but I think that perhaps it would be for the best if our world remained something of a mystery to you. The rules are in place to keep us all safe, having our two worlds collide would not end well,” Kingsley explained before turning back to Steve. “I’m sorry to pry, but I need to ask you a very personal question. We could discuss it somewhere more private if you would rather.”

“No, it’s fine,” Steve said, his mind and heart still aching with the pain of Harry’s absence. He wasn’t even sure he had the energy to move at the moment anyway. “If it’s important then they probably need to know as well,” he added, gesturing at his teammates.

“I assume the two of you were sleeping together, am I correct?” Kingsley asked, watching Steve carefully. When he had sent Harry here he had hoped that maybe he might find someone who appreciated him for him and give him exactly what he needed. 

“I can vouch for the fact that they were,” Tony said, a smirk on his face as he raised his hand. He just shrugged unapologetically when Steve managed a weak glare in his direction. Tony really did not care how Steve felt about the fact he had watched them, though Tony would never admit that he had watched it a few times since and found a lot of pleasure in it. 

“With or without protection?” Kingsley went on, taking what Tony had said on board but keeping his gaze fixed firmly on Steve, watching him carefully. He too had read the files on the team, he wouldn’t have sent Harry here without first familiarising himself with the people he would be spending time with. Harry was too valuable for such silly oversights. 

He knew of the serum that had altered Steve’s genetic code and made his emotions somewhat exaggerated and Kingsley had the same morbid fascination about the combination of serum, which was a modern day invention, with magic, something very old and traditional. He wondered what the result would be when two very powerful people, though in very different ways, came together in this manner. 

“That IS personal,” Steve said, glaring at the wizard, not really happy about being asked to share even more details of his private life, but when Kingsley continued to look at him, waiting patiently, he sighed and answered the question, though somewhat begrudgingly, “without.”

“That is interesting,” Kingsley said, giving the Captain a grateful nod for being so forthright. Harry might have had a reputation for being promiscuous but Kingsley also knew the man was cautious, overly so in fact. The lack of protection used between him and his new lover said a great deal about the trust that Harry was placing in Steve’s hands. “Perhaps I should not have given him a portkey after all,” he added quietly, mostly to himself, though in truth he understood that things could have been far worse, had Harry not had the means to escape.

“Glad that we can be so fascinating to you,” Steve snarled, feeling a little like he was being treated like a lab rat again; sure, last time that had worked out mostly in his favour, but he still didn’t appreciate it, certain not at the moment. He could take a lot without batting an eyelash but when it came to Harry his patience and tolerance would not last long, especially not if people were set on attacking him. 

“I do apologise,” Kingsley said softly, smiling a little, “I do not mean to pry, but the questions were important for me to know; it will help me to better protect Harry when we do find him.” Kingsley was not sure of the extent Harry had explained their world to Steve but he didn’t want to put his foot in it when he couldn’t know for sure what Steve knew was possible and what he was still in the dark about. Muggle’s were strange when it came to what they could accept and what they couldn’t. 

“What do you mean, how can knowing if we used protection when we slept together going to help you protect him when we find him?” Steve demanded to know, finding the knowing smile on Kingsley’s lips rather infuriating. There were so many things running through his mind that he honestly didn’t know what to think any more, the only thing that he knew for certain was that he needed to know that Harry was safe. 

“That would be better coming from Harry if it happens, it is possible it hasn’t but I had to ask,” Kingsley said somewhat mysteriously, he and Nick had a lot in common it seemed, they both liked to be annoyingly mysterious. “However I must now take my leave, Nicky, I trust you can inform your agents of what they need to know of my world.” 

“Yes,” Nick said unhappily, glowering at his brother, hating him for the use of his pet name for him. Tony couldn’t help himself and sniggered when he heard what Kingsley had called Director Fury, though even Bruce, Thor and Natasha were looking slightly amused by it. 

“I won’t use the portkey here, I think using any magic around Mr Stark right now would be detrimental to his health. Though I will bid you all farewell, for now,” Kingsley said giving the room an elaborate bow before heading for the door, his midnight blue robes swishing out behind them.

“British people are way weirder than I thought they would be,” Tony said with an amused smile as they watched the man leave. Harry had been odd all on his own but when compared with the likes of Kingsley Shacklebolt he was downright normal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? This chapter wasn't too evil, only a little bit. Leave me a comment and let me know what you think.


	11. Safe House

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry isn't feeling well, arguments and reunions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the amazing reviews, comments and continued support for this story. I love you guys so much for the feedback you've been giving me. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

S.H.I.E.L.D was a large organization and there were a lot of various elements to it and Fury oversaw a lot of that himself. This was why, when one of the known safe houses activated, Fury was alerted immediately. By this time, however, Tony was in bed, resting, Natasha and Bruce were working out a strategy on how to find Loki, and Steve had gone back to his room, determined to let off some steam and distract himself from knowing that there was nothing he could do to help Harry right now. 

Thor had taken Jane home. She would be of no use to them in battle and he didn’t want her to get hurt. This was the best he could do to keep her out of the line of fire; she had been a little shaken up with what had happened and was only starting to fully grasp the concept that there was so much more out there than just aliens. 

Fury had taken the helicopter from New York to Washington the moment the unauthorized presence had been located in one of the safe houses, accessed with a code that Hawkeye had been given. He hadn’t told any of the others that he was leaving, thinking that it was for the best they didn’t know for the moment, at least until he had spoken with Clint and Harry, not with the way Steve was currently acting. 

He was a little surprised that the two of them were still in America, having half expected for Harry to have taken the portkey back to England. Though when he thought about the way Steve was acting it made sense that Harry had wanted to stay where he was close to Steve. Also being back in England put him closer to the Sphere and that was something they needed to avoid. Fury commended Harry for the fact he had stayed somewhere that wasn’t his comfort zone, doing the right thing. 

However Fury wasn’t sure who to trust to take with him as backup, and so after taking the helicopter back to the Triskelion, he took one of the cars and drove himself off in the direction of the safe house.

All looked quiet in the suburban neighbourhood, as he pulled his car up in front of the detached house, which was more or less identical to the others which lined the road. He waited for a few minutes, but it was the early hours of the morning, and he didn’t see so much as a twitching curtain.

He knew exactly where he was going, his footsteps didn’t falter as he headed for the concealed entrance. The safe house in question was in the basement of a well kept house that was usually let out to undercover agents, posing as families; an empty house would have stood out more than they wanted it to. The lower ground was sealed off to anyone who didn’t have a unique code to access it. The door itself was down several worn stone steps that were concealed with a lot of foliage. Unless you knew what you were looking for it was unlikely that it would ever be found. 

The night was silent as Fury took the steps carefully and silently, his gun drawn just in case. He knew that it was foolish to come here with no back up and no one knowing where he had gone or why but this was of the highest security and he just couldn’t risk it. 

Typing in the numeric code to open the door Fury braced himself for a fight, unsure what he was about to face when he walked in. What he hadn’t been expecting was to hear a voice yell “Everte Statum” and for a jet of light to hit him squarely in the chest and to fly backwards into the brick wall behind him, winding him for a moment. 

“Harry, don’t, it’s Fury,” Clint said as he realised who it was that they were fighting against. He quickly came forward to help a now rather dazed Nick up and on to his feet. “Sir, you okay?”

“Fine, though I could have done without the collision with that wall,” Nick said with slight annoyance, glaring at Harry as he said this. He couldn’t seriously begrudge the young man using his talents to protect himself and Clint but that didn’t mean he liked being on the receiving end of it. His brother had used a fair few spells on him in their youth and he hadn’t liked that much either, it was how he had come to lose his eye. 

“Sorry, but in my defence you could have been Loki,” Harry said with an unapologetic shrug, before coming suddenly more serious. He had been unable to sleep so far this evening, his mind racing with thoughts of Steve and the others, wondering if they were alright and if Tony had survived or not. “Have you spoken with the other avengers? Is Steve okay? Is Tony?”

“Tony is alive,” Fury confirmed, “but maybe we should move this into the other room.” He was still a little shaken from whatever spell Harry had thrown at him, and knew that Harry was unlikely to react well to the news of the Captain. This was not a conversation that could be had without privacy, whether it was the middle of the night or not, there could always be someone listening. 

“But Steve isn’t okay?” Harry asked, following close on Nick’s heels as the man walked down the corridor, and into the living area of the safe house. Clint lingered behind, making sure no one had seen them before shutting the door and sealing them inside. 

“He’s alive and uninjured,” Nick assured him, wanting to make this clear first, taking a seat and fixing Clint and Harry both with firm looks as they join him in the room, though neither of them sat down; Clint always prefered to be ready to move and Harry just seemed too on edge to relax at all.

“That bad?” the young wizard asked, a look of horror on his face. He had left to protect Steve, knowing that it was going to hurt him emotionally at least a bit, but he still cared about him a great deal. He had never wanted him to suffer in anyway.

“He is not coping well,” Nick admitted. “The serum is… complicating matters. He isn’t going to stop trying to find you.”

“He’ll get over me, I’m not that special, he’ll have to get over me eventually because I can’t go back,” Harry said, shaking his head stubbornly. “They can’t know where we are, it’s too dangerous.” 

“I am aware of this, but it isn’t as simple as he’ll get over you,” Fury told him with a frown. “He is truly in love with you, the serum intensifying his feelings and it is making him reckless.” He needed for Harry to know this, to understand the seriousness of the situation. He could see the low self-esteem in the young man and didn’t care for it one bit. He needed to realise just how important he was to Steve before anyone got hurt. 

“Then tell him that I’m dead,” Harry said, his heart breaking a little as he said the words. He didn’t want for Steve to think that he was dead but if he was getting reckless and putting his life on the line then Harry would do what needed to be done to keep him safe. 

“You can’t do that to him,” Clint said, glaring at Harry. He didn’t care how much of a noble deed it was for Harry to walk away from Steve, something that would maybe even save his life, it wasn’t just Harry’s decision to make and it certainly wasn’t fair on Steve. 

“Clint is right, we are past that now, if he thought you were dead he would hunt Loki down whatever the cost and kill him or die trying,” Fury said with a frown. “I understand why you cannot go back or tell him where you are, however give him hope.” 

“How do I do that?” Harry asked with a sigh. “I can’t see him, how am I meant to give him hope?” Harry was at a complete loss of what to do, he cared for Steve so much but he certainly didn’t love him, it was too early for that. If what Fury was telling him was the truth though then he owed Steve something, anything, he just didn’t know what. 

“Write him a letter,” Clint suggested, “it might be enough for him to focus his energies if he has something to aim for, something like getting you back.” He cared very little for the romance between the two of them but he needed his team together and thinking straight so that they could finish this with Loki and get back to their regular lives.

“A letter?” Harry asked incredulously. “What am I supposed to say? Sorry I made you fall in love with me in just three days and then vanished, literally, but I had to so that the psychopath wouldn’t kill us all? Best wishes, Harry. P.S. Chin up.” He had never been very good at baring his feelings to those that needed to see them. Expressing them verbally was useless, writing them down seemed even worse. 

“Perhaps something more… romantic,” Fury suggested with exasperation. Harry truly was like no other agent he had ever come across. There was fire and passion in everything he did, loyalty and bravery were all there along with a strong urge to do the right thing. However the wizarding war and the job Harry had taken after that had damaged him beyond comprehension. 

Nick saw it a lot in his own agents. It was at this stage that he would have suggested retirement or if that was not an option, then vacation for a while to recover. It looked to Fury as if Harry had not taken a break from work for a very long time. Nick was starting to understand why it was his brother had sent Harry here instead of simply telling him the truth. 

“I don’t really do romance,” Harry said, screwing up his face in distaste. Anything lovey dovey to him was beyond him. He had of course seen Ron and Hermione show affection and be romantic but it was not something he had ever been very good at himself. 

“No, you do fucking him,” Clint said bitterly, as he went to a desk at the side of a room, grabbing a pen and paper. “Just write the damned note,” he said, forcing them into Harry’s hands. Harry sighed, but sat down and pulled a side table in front of him to lean on, as he tried to figure out what in Merlin’s name he was going to say.

\-------------------------x

Steve didn’t sleep at all that night. He stayed in the workout room, having fixed his punching bag. He hit it until his hands bled and then kept going. The pain hadn’t bothered him, he had just kept going, one punch after the other until, in the early hours of the morning, he had collapsed to his knees and allowed his emotions to wash over him and he cried. 

This was the way Fury found him when dawn broke. He wasn’t sure what to do with Steve, the man was utterly broken and he needed the hope that Fury held in his pocket. “On your feet, Captain,” he ordered, and though it wasn’t quite as effective as he had hoped, the man did at least turn to look at him from where he was knelt on the floor. 

“What for?” Steve asked, his voice gruff and hopeless. He felt completely lost, unsure what to do with himself, and never before had an order felt so difficult to comply with.

Fury huffed in frustration, taking hold of Steve’s arm, and all but pulling the larger man to his feet, before pushing him in the direction of the bathroom. “Shower, get changed, bandage up those hands and then we will talk,” he instructed firmly, knowing that giving the Captain options at the moment wasn’t going to make anything happen in a hurry.

Steve glared at him for a moment, but then seemed to give up his defiance, heading in the direction of the bathroom willingly, Fury took a seat and began to wait patiently for the man to shower and tend to his hands. Only once Steve was done did the two of them move to the sitting room so that they could have a discussion. 

Without saying anything Fury removed the note that Harry had written from his pocket and handed it to Steve. No words were needed from him as he handed it over. “What is this?” Steve asked as he accepted the piece of paper, looking at it in confusion. 

“Read it,” Fury instructed. Steve looked very confused, unfolding the note and then almost dropping it when he saw Harry’s name signed at the bottom of it. Whatever had been expecting this was not it. 

“You found him?” Steve asked, a hopeful expression on his face, looking at Fury before he even read the letter. “How…? Where is he? Is he safe, can I see him?” 

“Read the note,” Fury said again, this time getting up from where he had been sitting, knowing that Steve wasn’t going to focus on the letter until he was out of the room. Steve would need some privacy for this anyway. “I need to speak with Agent Romanoff, I will meet you on the communal floor when you are done.”

Steve didn’t say anything as Fury left the room, his entire focus was on the single sheet of paper than he was holding in his hand. There were only two paragraphs of scruffily scrawled words, and he already knew that it wasn’t going to be enough, no matter what Harry had to say, and he found himself almost fearful to read it. But he had to know, what it said, and so he made himself start to read.

Steve,   
I’m sorry. I didn’t want to leave but I knew if I didn’t then Tony was going to die. I just wanted to keep you and the other Avenger’s safe. Loki wants me, last night he tried to make me go with him willingly, it won’t take him long to figure out that killing me will drop the protective enchantments just as easily as if I took them off willingly. While I was there with you, you were a target as well and I didn’t want any of you to get hurt because of me.   
I know you’ll want to try and find me but I’m asking you not to, it is best for everyone that you don’t. You cannot know where I am and I cannot come back, not yet. I am safe here, as is Clint, we will take advantage of this and train so that we are ready for the fight when it comes. Until then I need you to be the Captain, to keep working against Loki so that we can get rid of him and I can see you again. Until that happens, please take care of yourself and I just hope that when I see you again you can forgive me for hurting you like this. Again, I am sorry.   
Always, forever… plus a day  
Harry. 

\------------------x 

Natasha, Bruce, Tony and Thor gathered in the communal area with Fury, while they were waiting for Steve to join them; Fury had mentioned the letter from Harry, and so they understood that the captain was going to be a little while. Fury took the time to inform them all that both Harry and Clint were safe, hidden away from the world and would be staying that way for the moment. 

There was nothing to be done about that for the time being really and so they got to discussing what they were going to do about Loki; that was the only way they were going to be able to get Clint and Harry back. Harry would be in even more serious danger once Loki realised that killing him would be quicker and easier than convincing him to hand over the sphere and so no-one was being told the location of the two men. Fury had been unsure about even telling them as much as he had, but knew that it was the kind of information that the team needed, to be able to do what they needed to do.

“I am fairly sure that I can confirm that what Jane told us to be true,” Bruce said, and Natasha who was sat next to him, and had been helping him with his research, nodded her head in confirmation. There did indeed seem to be eight of them, just as she had described, and the text Jane had recommended before leaving had proved highly useful; however, locating them all was going to prove a little more tricky. 

They didn’t have much to go on, given the references to the devices were so few and far between, but they started work on the near impossible task of tracking down the remaining seven, in the hopes of figuring out how close Loki was to having the complete set and to see if they would be able to hinder his progress any by taking one for themselves. 

“A few of them, we have at least approximate locations in terms of part of the world,” Natasha explained; this much they had been able to work out from the ancient references, simply by where abouts in the world they originated, but it was an educated guess at best, as was going to take a lot of following up on. 

It had been the best part of an hour before Steve reappeared, and Fury was relieved to see that the note from Harry seemed to have done what he had intended it to. Steve seemed a lot more together and certainly more focused, ready to take on whatever he had to do. If anything Steve seemed to be a little too focused, wanting nothing more than to destroy the God of Mischief and get his boyfriend back. 

\--------x 

Two weeks past with the Avengers searching for the seven lost sphere’s. Steve, Natasha, Thor and sometimes Tony had travelled all over the world, only to find that Loki had beaten them to most of them. Steve, particularly, had thrown himself into the missions eagerly and there were now only two left but they were proving the most difficult to locate, they hadn’t been able to find any sign of them at all. They could only hope that Loki was having just as much difficulty as they were. 

Harry and Clint had not returned to Avenger’s tower, as they had said they wouldn’t, and in fact had even managed to maintain complete radio silence with the others too. They had not wanted to risk being tracked down, so had instead remaining safely concealed away in the safe house, unknown to everyone but Fury. The two of them were getting a little sick of one another’s company if they were honest but at least they were getting on a little better. 

The two of them had spent the time training endlessly and swapping war stories in their down time. They now knew more about one another than they thought they would ever share but it was nice and they were almost friends now. They were both a little desperate to leave however, being cooped up in the safe house was not ideal for either of them. Neither Harry nor Clint were accustomed to hiding from their enemies. 

“You alright?” Clint asked; he had been woken up by the sound of Harry vomiting and had quickly come to investigate. He’d found Harry with his head down the toilet, retching and vomiting, a layer of sweat on his face, hands shaking violently. 

“Yeah,” Harry said weakly. “Food poisoning maybe,” Harry suggested, sitting back and flushing away the contents of the toilet that had been filling the room with the sickly sweet stench. 

“We eat the same food and I’m fine,” Clint said, eyeing Harry with concern. He had been looking a little pale and out of sorts the last couple of days but this was the first time that he had seemed at all unwell. “A stomach bug?” Clint suggested, causing Harry to glare at him. 

“I don’t get sick, I never have,” Harry said stubbornly as another wave of nausea hit him and he rushed to get his head back over the toilet and heaved, though nothing came up this time, his stomach empty and contracting painfully as yellow bile dropped from his mouth into the toilet.

“First time for everything,” Clint said with a sigh, moving around Harry and filling a glass with water from the bathroom sink, offering it to Harry where he sat on the floor, breathing heavily. “Perhaps a S.H.I.E.L.D. doctor…” 

“No,” Harry said at once. “A regular doctor wouldn’t be able to help, I’m not a regular person remember, they’d figure out I was different, I can’t risk that.” 

“Then someone from your world?” Clint said, thinking that if Harry never got sick then it was something to be concerned about. He didn’t want Harry getting so ill that he couldn’t defend himself if it came down to it. They were safe for the moment but neither of them had really relaxed in the two weeks they had been here. Both too on edge to believe they were truly safe from harm. 

“We’d have to come out of hiding,” Harry said, not exactly hating this idea. “I’ll be fine,” he said with a sigh. He didn’t want to blow their cover because he couldn’t handle a stomach bug. 

“I am not against that,” Clint said as he watched Harry take a sip of the water he had been given. He was rather sick of being cooped up in this little underground safe house, he needed to be outside, he wanted to be with the rest of the team and Harry needed to be back with Steve; it was clear to Clint that Harry was missing Steve desperately. 

“We’ll give it a couple more days and see,” Harry said wanting to put Clint’s mind at ease. In truth he had no clue what was wrong with him and all sorts of possibilities had crossed his mind. The most ridiculous had been that he might be pregnant, it was ridiculous because despite it being possible it was extremely rare and even he couldn’t be that unlucky. 

Hermione had given him that particular talk when she had found out about his promiscuous behaviour but Harry had laughed it off. Besides, it shouldn’t have been possible considering Steve was a muggle and they’d only slept together a handful of times. It was something Harry had very quickly ruled out, even if there was a niggling doubt in the back of his mind that just wouldn’t go away. 

“If you’re not improving by tomorrow evening I’m contacting Fury,” Clint said in all seriousness, he wasn’t going to just let Harry suffer, not when he clearly needed help. “Breakfast?” 

“Merlin, no!” Harry said as he almost dropped his glass of water and threw up what he had just drank into the toilet at the mention of food. 

“Suit yourself,” Clint said with a sigh, going to see what he could find to satisfy his own hunger and also to contact Fury. He didn’t care what Harry had said or what he had said to Harry, something was wrong and it needed to be fixed. 

\------------x 

“Fury,” Nick said as he pressed the answer button on his office phone, putting it on speaker. His office in Avenger’s tower was one of high security, no cameras, no microphones, nothing would work in that regard inside these four walls, everything had been specially designed for the highest of privacy. Partly this was for safety and partly because he hated holding handsets to his ear. 

“Director, it’s Barton,” Clint said down the phone. It had been a few days since he had been in contact with Fury and it had had the Director a little concerned. He had Clint and Harry checking in every three to four days just to make sure they were alright. If he didn’t hear from them then he would have sent out a team of agents to check on them. 

“”Update report?” Fury asked but instantly regretted this as the door to his office burst open and Steve came in looking a little stressed. 

“We’re still concealed and safe but Harry is sick,” Clint said and at once Steve froze. “He’s been vomiting the last two days and he can’t keep any food down, he doesn’t believe that a regular doctor would be able to see him.”

“Let me talk to him,” Steve burst out before Fury had a chance to say anything. 

“Rogers?” Clint asked in surprise, “Sir, I’m sorry…”

“It’s fine, Barton, you weren’t to know,” Fury said, glowering at Steve, not appreciating the fact that he hadn’t knocked before entering. He was wishing that he had taken the moment to lock the door. For all the high tech security features that ensured privacy it meant nothing if he just left the door unlocked. 

“Let me talk to Harry,” Steve demanded again, wanting to hear his voice. “Is he sick? What’s going on? How long have you been talking to them?” 

“Harry can’t come to the phone right now, he’s currently puking his guts up,” Clint said impatiently; he had very little time for Steve acting like a love sick puppy when he had a genuine emergency with Harry unable to keep his food down at all. 

“Tell me where you are, I’m going to come to him then,” Steve said, looking at Fury in frustration. He wasn’t going to be taking no for an answer, he wanted to be with Harry, whatever it took. 

“Director, Sir, if I may… I would like to suggest that Roger’s takes my place,” Clint suggested, thinking that he could do with some time out of the safe house. He had been talking to Harry about Natasha a lot in their confinement and he actually felt as if he needed to see her. 

“Yes!” Steve agreed, rather more enthusiastically than he had intended, actually blushing a little when Fury gave him a far too knowing look. “Sorry, sir, I just think it’s a good idea,” he said a bit more calmly.

“I will send for the helicopter, Barton, and I’ll escort Steve to your location myself; the fewer people who know about Harry’s location the better. Be ready at midday,” Fury instructed, ending the call and looking at Steve. “Are you prepared for this? You will not be able to leave, not for any reason.” 

“I understand that, Sir,” Steve said with certainty. He didn’t care if he was never permitted to leave that safe house again as long as he was with Harry. Fury nodded, knowing that Steve needed this, he had been hell bent on finding the sphere’s since the morning after Harry had disappeared. It was due to him that they had managed to find four of the seven that they had needed to locate. 

Even though they could have used him to track down the others Fury knew that putting Steve with Harry was the best move to make at this stage of the game. If Harry’s health was failing then he would need someone to take care of him and Nick could think of no one better than Steve. 

“I will need to alert his people of his illness so that they can advise on what to do, be ready to leave in an hour,” Fury said and Steve nodded before turning to leave. “Roger’s,” Fury said, barking out his name, “Why did you come here, I assume you had something to tell me.” 

“Yes Sir, we identified a possible location for the sixth sphere,” Steve said. “Thor and Natasha left to fetch it, we believe that Loki has not been able to retrieve this particular one, we’re ahead of him.”

\------------------x

“Why did you do that? I’m fine!” Harry shouted at Clint, furious that he had gone to Fury. “I didn’t want Steve here, he won’t be safe here.” Despite missing Steve desperately he knew that it was for the best that they were apart, especially now he wasn’t feeling great. Steve was a good man but his attentions were better spent elsewhere where he could be useful. 

“And I am?” Clint said a little harshly; he and Harry had become friends in the two weeks that they had spent together but that didn’t mean they saw eye to eye on everything. They still had their moments of disagreeing with one another, clearly this was going to be one of those occasions. 

“You don’t love me!” Harry snapped, thinking that having Clint here was actually rather nice, whereas having Steve here could put something of a strain on their relationship. Harry had been hoping that the time apart from Steve would help the older man get a little more in control of his serum, he didn’t know how he would react now. 

“Damn straight I don’t, you’re a pain in my ass,” Clint said harshly, though Harry didn’t miss the affection in his tone. Clint would often refer to Harry in this way but it was not without fondness when he did. 

“I’m the pain the arse? You’re the one going around telling tales to Fury,” Harry retaliated, almost childishly so, crossing his arms over his chest and trying very hard not to pout. He knew why Clint had done what he had but that didn’t mean that Harry had to appreciate it. 

“You’re sick!” Clint said firmly. “You need help! Maybe you will actually listen when Rogers tells you this, though I’m not going to hold my breath,” Clint said defensively, though he didn’t see why he had to be so defensive. After all, he was trying to help Harry and telling Fury had not been intended to get him into trouble. He hadn’t even expected it to bring Steve here, though he was rather glad that he had the chance to leave. 

“I don’t think I’m sick!” Harry said with a resounding sigh. Since throwing up the entire contents of his stomach this morning as well as the morning before there had been a lot of thoughts going round and round in his head and he couldn’t seem to shake them. Harry was used to trusting his gut instincts and in this instance he had been trying to ignore them, which was stupid seeing as his instincts had never let him down before. 

“Of course you’re sick, you’ve been unable to keep your food down for days!” Clint argued, frustrated that Harry was still trying to deny the obvious. He had never known anyone as stubborn as him, not even Natasha and that was saying something. 

“I don’t think I’m sick, Clint,” Harry snapped in annoyance, hating that Steve was not the first person he was going to tell, “I think I’m pregnant, that’s why I don’t want Steve here!” Harry was furious, not at anyone in particular, just at the situation in general. When he had come here, to America, he had been happy knowing that this might be his last mission, that he might find some form of piece in it and he could pass on to the next life and be with his family again. 

Now, Harry had something that was worth living for, the chance at a life and a relationship and even the possibility of children. He now didn’t want to die at all, he wanted to live, desperately so. He was close to tears as he sank down on to the sofa, head in his hands, anger, confusion and sorrow washing over him. 

“It’s impossible, you’re a guy!” Clint said, staring at Harry in disbelief. He knew that Harry was odd and that he came from a strange world that he could only just start to comprehend but this… the thought was a little unnerving for Clint who had never thought about it being possible before now. 

“No, I’m a wizard and it’s unlikely, not impossible,” Harry corrected with a tired sigh. His stomach was still feeling a little uneasy and he felt utterly drained and more than that, he was absolutely famished. He had never been a big eater but currently he felt as if he could eat the entire Hogwarts start of term feast all to himself. 

“Oh,” Clint said, his eyes wide as he too sat down beside Harry, trying to process this new piece of information. He was trying to think about how that would work but his mind just couldn’t process the possibility of it. 

“Yes, oh,” Harry said, not really having meant to voice his fears out loud, he hadn’t really been acknowledging them to himself, let alone feeling ready to talk to anyone else about it. However, he was almost glad that he told Clint first; he had spent three days with the other Avengers, even though he had been intimately close to Steve, but he had spent two whole weeks with Clint, just talking and training; he was closer to Clint than anyone. 

“You’re sure… I mean, you’re a guy, you have guy parts… I’m guessing… how is it going to… you know…” Clint asked, needing for Harry to explain this because it was the part that he was truly struggling to come to terms with. All he could think about was a baby coming out of his personal area, front or back, either way it was not pretty to imagine. 

 

“I have no idea, kinda new to me too,” Harry said with a small laugh, loving the horrified expression on Clint’s face as he had asked that question. 

“Congratulations?” Clint said, knowing that this was the appropriate thing to say when a woman announce her pregnancy but not sure if it was customary when the one pregnant was a male. Poot Clint was rather confused as to what to say or even what to think about it. 

“Not quite, I might be wrong, it’s highly unlikely, which is why you don’t say anything to anyone, especially not Steve,” Harry said, still clinging to the small hope that he wasn’t. Any other occasion and he would have been thrilled but this was not the best of timings, not when he was a target in Loki’s plans to gain more power. 

“I am not being the one to break the news, don’t you worry,” Clint said with a snort of amusement. He had seen the level of Steve’s affection and that was when it was just Harry, he was certainly not going to be the one to inform the super soldier that he was going to be a Daddy. 

“You think he’ll take it badly?” Harry asked, suddenly concerned. He had been so concerned with worrying about himself, how he was going to cope and protecting his unborn child, to really consider how Steve might react to this news and now he was terrified of what the super soldier’s reaction might be.

“He was a ninety year old virgin when he met you, what do you think?” Clint asked in amusement. He had to admit that he had felt a little sorry for Steve on that front; however, from what Tony had shared with them, Clint could think of no better person to activate Steve sexually. It sounded like Harry was quite something else in the bedroom, or so Tony had told him. 

“That he loves me,” Harry said hopefully but knowing that this would not be the reaction that Steve would have the moment he found out he was going to be a father. Harry was trying to deny that it was possible still but a small part of his subconscious had accepted it and genuinely wanted this, wanted for it to be true. He was already thinking along the terms of his future with his child as if it was already a certainty. 

“Yeah, and you think that this will make him less obsessed and possessive?” Clint asked sceptically. Steve was a loyal man, he did what was right without question, his devotion to Harry made that clear, Clint doubted that this love and devotion would lessen any when he found out. 

“Oh Merlin, I am so screwed,” Harry said, throwing himself back and glaring at the ceiling. He had missed Steve and despite initially being angry with Clint about telling Fury and for offering to trade places with Steve, he was looking forward to seeing him again. He had thought about him constantly for the two weeks that they had been apart and even though Harry had known that it was for the best it hadn’t made it any easier to accept that they were apart. 

\------------------x

Steve was a ball of anxiety and nerves as he and Fury climbed into the black SUV having landed in Washington moments before. He was excited to see Harry again after their separation, his hands physically shaking with the nerves and adrenaline. 

“I will take you inside and extract Barton,” Fury was explaining to him. “Food and supplies are delivered to the building once a week. Everything you need is there, you must not leave the safe house. If something happens then you contact me directly.” 

“I understand, Sir,” Steve said, nodding his head in confirmation. He had brought two bags of things, one filled with Harry’s belongings, the other filled with his. He had tried to think rationally when he had thrown everything together but he wasn’t entirely sure what they had ended up in but he knew that Harry would appreciate having his own clothes.

“Harry will be your responsibility,” Fury warned. “You will need to monitor his health and make sure whatever is ailing him isn’t anything serious.” 

“I know,” Steve said as he gazed out of the window, trying to distract himself in any way possible. His stomach was tying itself in knots at the thought that in a few moments he was going to be seeing Harry again. 

“He will be pleased to see you,” Fury said when he realised where Steve’s head was at and it wasn’t with what he was saying. 

“I hope so,” Steve said, continuing to gaze out of the window, deep in thought, “how, long until we get there?” he asked as they sped by a multitude of identical looking suburban houses. They were homes that everyone dreamed of owning, raising their families in, they were beautiful and something so far from Steve’s grasp that it pained him. He would never have a normal life, from the moment he had been injected with the serum had he ever been normal. 

“Five minutes,” Fury said as he put his foot on the accelerator, grateful that there were very few cars out on the road, at least in this part of town. Nick was keen to check on Harry too, wanting to make sure that he was alright. After the cryptic questions his brother had asked, he was curious as to what he had been getting at.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? After two weeks apart the reunion between Steve and Harry is going to be smutty!! I will of course en-devour to get that chapter up as quickly as possible but in the mean time why not leave a comment for me and let me know what you thought of this chapter.


	12. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Harry are reunited.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Harry didn’t use protection because he didn’t think that he could get pregnant from a muggle. He’s also resistant to regular diseases as a wizard, plus Steve was a virgin so he wasn’t really worrying about anything like that when they slept together.

Parking the car three houses down Fury and Steve walked the last few meters to the safe house, Nick leading the way as Steve had no idea where he was going. The street looked like any other suburban street, nothing peculiar here, just a few mothers pushing their children in prams and tending to their gardens while their husbands were at work. It all seemed so blissfully normal.

 

“This way,” Fury said as he went through a side gate and onto a property that blended in beautifully with the rest of the street, it’s garden beautifully maintained. There were no people in sight however and no one tried to stop them as they headed towards the rear of the property. 

 

Steve followed wordlessly as Fury headed towards some foliage and he didn’t question it when the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D disappeared into the bushes, instead following without hesitation and finding worn stone steps that Fury was already most of the way down. 

 

“They’ve been here all this time?” Steve asked, finding that he was a little jealous of this fact, “Just the two of them?” Nick gave Steve a firm look, knowing exactly what he was thinking. He didn’t think that Clint exactly swung that way and thought that Steve’s reaction was a little unjustified. 

 

“I would think you might trust someone you claim to love so much a little more than that, Captain,” Fury said a little tiredly as he entered in the number on the keypad, hearing the locks click open. 

 

“It’s not Harry I don’t trust,” Steve said bitterly as they entered the building. A moment later, before he had really registered what was going on someone collided with him, arms around his waist, hugging him for all he was worth. “Harry,” Steve said with relief, realising that the person now wrapped around him was the one he had been dying to see for the past two weeks. 

 

“I missed you,” Harry said earnestly, as he felt Steve’s arms wrap around him and hold him close. Fury moved around them and found Clint in the sitting room, ready to leave. 

 

“They at it already?” Clint asked when he spotted Fury, who nodded, remaining silent. “God, if we leave them here they’re never going to stop.” 

 

“I think that was perhaps the reason Roger’s volunteered to take your place,” Nick said, slightly amused by the situation, though keen to leave. He really didn’t want to risk drawing attention to their location if he could avoid it. 

 

Clint scrunched up his nose but nodded at that. “Should we get going?” he asked. After two weeks shut up in the basement of the house he was more than a little keen to breath some fresh air again, not to mention actually talk to someone who wasn’t Harry, no matter how much closer the two of them had grown.

 

“Yes, I want to a full debriefing before we take you back to Avengers Tower,” Fury stated. He had had the regular updates, of course, but he still wanted to know everything that Harry had told Clint over the last couple of weeks.

 

“Yes, sir,” Clint said, as he headed towards the door where Fury was still standing. He wasn’t at all surprised by the request and was actually almost looking forward to something that actually felt normal to him. “Guys, really, you couldn’t wait until we left?” Clint asked when he caught sight of Steve and Harry. 

 

Steve was already topless, Harry too, and they appeared to be permanently attached at the lips, Harry’s legs wrapped around Steve’s waist as the older of the two pinned the smaller man to the wall. 

 

“Perhaps we should allow the two of them to get reaquainted,” Fury said, a little disapproving. He wasn’t sure why it was that the two of them didn’t have any restraint when it came to being in one another's presence but he didn’t fancy getting in the middle of them. 

 

\-----------------------x 

 

Steve was only vaguely aware of Fury and Clint leaving, he had only one thing on his mind and that was Harry. Having him back in his arms was like nothing else he could remember feeling. Kissing him again, feeling Harry’s warmth pressed up against him, Steve felt more alive in this moment than he had done in the past two weeks. 

 

“Bedroom,” Steve pleaded breathlessly, breaking their kiss and allowing Harry to breathlessly point in the direction they needed to go. The super soldier wasted no time in leading his lover in that direction, the two of them reaching the bedroom at the end of the corridor without letting go of one another, stealing frequent, slightly desperate kisses.

 

The safe house was by no means luxurious, but then it was not meant to be somewhere that people occupied for long periods of time, which was made clear by the fact there were single occupancy metal bunk beds in the bedroom. Steve looked at the bunk beds in disgust; he wasn’t sure he would fit on one of the single beds on his own, let alone with Harry as well. 

 

“Can you umm… do something about this?” Steve asked, looking at Harry curiously. 

 

Harry just laughed, muttering some latin words and Steve watched, utterly dumbfounded, as the metal bunk beds shrunk and transformed into a simple, double metal-framed bed. “Better?” Harry asked with a smile as he ran his hands through Steve’s soft blond hair. 

 

“Much better,” Steve said as he claimed Harry’s lips in another kiss, pulling the smaller man close to his body. Harry moaned happily into the kiss as his lover walked him across the room, until he felt the cool metal of the bed frame against the backs of his legs. “Lie down,” Steve suggested, his lips barely brushing against Harry’s as he spoke.

 

Harry was completely on board with that suggestion, sitting down on the edge of the mattress as Steve kissed him again; he let the older man lay him down and shuffled backwards so that he could lie on the bed fully. The super soldier hurriedly reached for the zipper of Harry’s trousers, determined to get them both undressed and quickly.

 

“Steve,” Harry gasped, as his lover all but tore the trousers from his body, dragging down his underwear at the same time. He was a little surprised by his own relief at being this close to Steve again and he found himself actually wanting something more than just a hasty roll in the sheets. “Steve, slow down, please,” he pleaded, looking up at the lust filled blue eyes, “I want this to last, let’s go slow,” he suggested hopefully. 

 

Steve blinked a little in surprise, and had to take a moment to realise what Harry was asking of him. From what he could tell Harry had always been about a quick fuck, hard and fast, that was how it had always been for the two of them and Steve had definitely enjoyed that; but now Harry was asking for something different, something more and truth be told it turned Steve on massively. 

 

“Alright,” Steve said with a smile, recognising that Harry was looking for an intimacy between them like they had never had before and he liked that idea greatly. Standing next to the bed and meeting Harry’s beautifully green eyes, Steve started to remove his own clothing, slowly, just like his lover had requested. 

 

Steve then climbed onto the bed too, crawling across the mattress to position himself over Harry. He held himself there and claiming Harry’s lips in a sweet kiss; it lacked the desperation and hunger of their previous kisses but the passion, love and affection was there and its intensity had increased. 

 

“Please don’t ever leave me again,” Steve pleaded as he held himself above Harry, looking down into the impossibly green eyes and feeling nothing but love for the younger man. 

 

“I’m not going anywhere, Cap,” Harry said with a soft smile, reaching up and wiping away a stray tear that had been threatening to fall from Steve’s eyes, hating that he caused his lover so much distress. He knew that the serum was making the super soldier’s emotions more overwhelming for the other man, and it was becoming very clear that Fury hadn’t been exaggerating when he had talked about Steve’s love for him.

 

Steve smiled at Harry teasingly, before he began to kiss his way down his lover’s chest, sucking and nibbling on every inch of tanned skin, appretiating each muscle, teasing each nipple until they were hard stubs and overly sensitive. Harry’s back arched, as though his whole body was reaching for Steve, pleading for more with each gentle caress but Steve was determined to give Harry what he had asked for, to take it slow and make it last. 

 

“Is there lube here?” Steve asked, a little fearful of what the answer might be. He almost hoped that there wasn’t, that Harry couldn’t direct him to it instantly. He wanted to trust Harry completely, just like Fury has said he should, but he couldn’t shake the thought that his lover had been shut up in the safe house, alone with Clint for two full weeks, and he didn’t know what he would do if Harry had supplies on hand for such things. 

 

“No,” Harry said breathlessly, as Steve began to stroke his cock with long, slow motions that had Harry bucking up his hips trying to get more friction, more contact, just more; he hadn’t anticipated quite how intense the slower pace would be. “I… I don’t think so…” he added wishing that he had thought to check for anything they could use the moment he knew that Steve was coming. 

 

“I have some,” Steve said as he nibbled at Harry’s hip, grazing his teeth over taut skin and bone. “In my bag,” he said, his breath brushing over Harry’s erection as he moved further down to his lover’s balls, where he sucked one into his mouth causing Harry to almost scream with pleasure. Steve had not used his two weeks to do nothing, he had been doing some serious research, wanting to make sure that he knew exactly how best to please Harry when they were reunited. 

 

Basically any down time that he had had, Steve had been watching more than his fair share of porn; it had taken a little while for him to feel comfortable watching such things but soon he had found himself studying it endlessly, notepad and pen out so that he could take notes on the various positions that he liked the look of. He had even found a few extra things that he knew he wanted to try, if Harry was happy to, though he wasn’t sure that his desires were exactly normal. Either way those ideas were not for now. Now he wanted to worship Harry and show him exactly how much he had been missed.

 

It took Harry a little while to regain his thoughts, after the waves of pleasure that had washed over him, gasping again when Steve switched to suck at the other ball. It was with some difficulty that he managed to get out the words to summon the lube from Steve’s bag, which was still out in the hallway, as he was too wrapped up in the sensations of what his lover was doing to him.

 

It took a few seconds, but sure enough the little tube came whizzing into the room and Harry struggled to catch it, his attention on his lover, wanting to feel so much more. As Harry passed Steve the lube, the older man took Harry’s erection into his mouth, keeping a firm grip on the smaller man’s hips.

 

Harry almost lost control of himself, his erection inside Steve’s warm, wet mouth, his balls being fondled, he honestly couldn’t think straight. When he felt a finger trail gently across his hole he cried out with pleasure, his whole body contracting as he came, spilling his seed into his lover’s waiting mouth.

 

Steve swallowed as he let Harry’s cock slip from between his lips. He still had the lube his lover had summoned gripped firmly in his hand, and squirted some onto his fingers, eager to feel the heat of his lover’s body around any part of him. Harry was breathing heavily, riding the waves of his first orgasm, his body limp and heavy as the super soldier coated his entrance with lube before slowly, teasingly pushing a single finger inside.

 

Harry’s voice became nothing more than garbled nonsense as he writhed on Steve’s finger, begging and pleading for more in almost incoherent sentences. Steve watched his lover’s face, filled with confidence that he was doing it right by the reaction that other man was giving him.

 

Adding a second finger, he watched as Harry fisted his hands around the sheets, arching his back as his body adjusted to the invasion. Steve moved slowly, carefully and with utter precision, hitting the little bundle of nerves inside of his lover only went he meant to, taking Harry’s almost fully hard cock into his mouth again as he continued to stretch out his lover.

 

“Please,” Harry begged, needing more, wanting to feel Steve inside of him before he was almost literally made to explode. Steve, however, was having far too much fun with his teasing, driving Harry wild. It was clear that he was so very close to coming for the second time and that was exactly what the super-soldier wanted.

 

When Harry had requested that they go slow he had never imagined that it would be this intense. His hands were shaking as he tried to reach out and stroke the older man’s hair as the taller man bobbed up and down on his erection. Steve, releasing his hold on Harry’s cock, placed a soft kissed the palm of the younger man’s hand as he added a third digit, scissoring them to fully prepare his lover.

 

“Steve,” Harry said, his voice barely a whisper, bearing down on the fingers inside of him, every nerve ending in his body on fire with want and need. Yet Steve didn’t stop, ignoring the desperate pleadings of his younger lover, instead carrying on with the foreplay, determined to give Harry the intimacy that he wanted.

 

As Steve brushed over his prostate Harry gave a silent scream, his voice already raspy and his throat sore as he came for the second time. Steve knew that Harry was ready now but he didn’t stop, allowing for his lover to ride out his orgasm, waves of pleasure washing over him. Steve, however, was not finished yet. 

 

Harry was limp and pliable in his arms as Steve kissed his way up his lover’s body. He grabbed the lube and squirted some on his throbbing erection, needing a moment to calm himself before he claimed Harry as his own once more. 

 

Drawing level with one another, Steve pressed his lips to Harry’s, capturing them in a searing kiss. Looking down into his lover’s stunning emerald eyes that had almost completely taken over, his pupils lost in a haze of lust, Steve couldn’t help himself, he was in love. "There is everything I am,... my life... and then there's you,” he said, stroking lovingly at Harry’s raven hair, unable to take in just how beautiful this man was. 

 

“Make love to me,” Harry pleaded desperately, “I need you,” he added, unable to break their eye contact, lost in the perfection of the moment, wanting Steve more than he had ever wanted anything in his life

 

Gathering Harry up and into his arms, Steve sat up, shuffling his back up against the headboard as he placed Harry into his lap, so that the younger man’s legs were on either side of him. Instinctively, Harry wound his arms around Steve’s neck, holding on as he felt his lover’s erection line up to his entrance. 

 

Both of them were breathing heavily, their hearts pounding, Harry already on a high from two orgasms as Steve’s hands held on to his hips, ready to push himself inside. Their eye contact wasn’t broken as very slowly, Steve pushed the head of his erection inside of his younger lover. They were so close to one another that Harry could feel the heat of Steve’s breath ghosting across his lips as he fought to control himself. 

 

“If I’m hurting you…” Steve began to say but Harry shook his head, fingers intertwining into soft blond hair that was damp with sweat. 

 

“You’ve never hurt me, Cap,” Harry said breathlessly as the intensity increased with every inch Steve pushed into his younger lover. He couldn’t help but close his eyes as finally, Steve was fully inside of him. Harry’s muscles were trembling but then so were Steve’s, the two of them unmoving as they just marvelled in being so close to one another. 

 

Drawing Harry into a long, sensual kiss, Steve began to rock their hips, moving slowly in and out of Harry, hands wandering up and down the smooth skin of the smaller man’s back, their sweat slicked skin gliding effortlessly together. For the first time both of them feeling irrevocably connected to the other. 

 

“I need to tell you,” Steve said, breaking the kiss, resting his forehead against Harry’s as he continued to rock them together, drawing long, illicite moans from his lover’s lips. “I love you,” he said, his voice barely a whisper as he uttered the words. 

 

“I’m yours,” Harry said, his voice coming out a little broken, his throat dry and sore from the screaming, “I can promise you that I’m yours,” he added before Steve claimed his lips in a sweet yet desperate kiss.

 

Steve knew that the serum was affecting him and his emotions, to have this admission from Harry was all that he could hope for at this point. For Harry to say that to him gave Steve the hope that he would love him eventually. Rocking back and forth, Steve reached between them to take Harry’s sensitive semi-erection into his hand. He wanted for him to come at least once more. 

 

He drew the smaller man into small, loving kisses, making them long and slow, drawing everything out into the most beautiful and sensual feelings, truly showing him that he was loved. It didn’t take much for Harry to come, his erection overly sensitive from his two previous orgasms, though not much come came out.

 

Steve, however, felt Harry’s muscles contract around him; he had been holding on, taking it slow like his lover had wanted, but the pressure pushed him over the edge, causing him to empty himself inside of his younger lover. He tightened his hold around of Harry, holding him close as the two of them rode out their orgasms. Harry was literally shaking, muscles trembling as he held on to Steve with all the strength that he had left. 

 

He felt it as Harry went limp in his arms, his breathing becoming deep and even, signalling to Steve that he had fallen asleep. The older man’s heart swelled knowing that Harry trusted him enough to fall asleep in his arms but he found that he didn’t want to lose the connection between them so soon.

 

Settling himself against the headboard and maneuvering some pillows and the duvet so that they would both be warm enough and comfortable, Steve allowed Harry to sleep on in his arms, remaining inside of him and just listening to the sound of his lover sleeping. 

 

\-------------------x 

 

Fury opted not to accompany Clint back to Avengers Tower, deciding to remain in Washington to make sure all their bases were covered, that people weren’t asking difficult questions about where Captain America was, nor where Agent Barton had been for the last two weeks. Clint, however, was keen to get back to the tower, see for himself that they were all okay, not to mention actually wear some of his own clothes again, after having been stuck with the generic supplies that the safe house was stocked with.

 

Clint was a well trained Agent, something he prided himself on, and so had been able to cope relatively well with the insolation of the last two weeks, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t glad to get out of there. It was going to be strange not having Harry around though; he had actually grown to quite like the guy, even if Harry also drove him nuts half the time. 

 

He smiled and sighed, relaxing back into his seat in the helicopter, as he watched the buildings below get further away, the noise from the engine and blades drowning out all but his own thoughts and he was kind of glad for it; not that the pilot, the only other person on board, had spoken more than a two word greeting to him.

 

Clint was definitely looking forward to seeing Natasha again, so that he could train with someone who wasn’t Harry of course, though Fury had informed him that she was currently on a mission with Thor to collect one of the spheres. He was a little disappointed that he hadn’t been there to be able to go with them. He was just thinking about how he could use that to ensure himself a place on the next mission when there was a loud thunking sound, quickly followed by the bleeping of alarms and alert systems, which pulled him from his thoughts.

 

“What’s happening?” he demanded to know, talking to the pilot through the headsets they were both wearing as he sat up straight. Clint had to quickly grab at his own seat as the helicopter started veering strangely off to one side, and he began instinctively looking around, trying to find the threat, to find something that might help them, but there was little to nothing that he could do while they were in mid-flight. 

 

“Catastrophic failure,” the pilot grunted out, clearly focused on trying to keep them in the air, but the movements of the helicopter were all over the place and Clint had to admit, at that moment, for the first time in a while, he felt completely out of control and was seriously fearing for his life.

 

\---------------x 

 

Natasha and Thor had been shocked at how easy it was to locate and claim the sphere as their own, they had expected for Loki to put up some form of resistance or to be there to claim it himself but he had not. There had been no sign of him or of George, anywhere, something which both Thor and Natasha had found highly suspicious. 

 

They had been on high alert the entire time that they had been out of the tower but they hadn’t been challenged at all. The sphere was now tucked away on Thor’s person, thinking that he was probably the strongest of them and the most able to protect it from his brother if it was needed. 

 

Tony had been waiting for them back at the tower along with Bruce; the two of them had been working separately in their labs for the majority of the day as their normal lives had not stopped regardless of this mission from S.H.I.E.L.D. They had been expecting for Fury and Clint to have been back by now but they weren’t concerned by the fact that they weren’t, not if Fury had had a debriefing to do as Clint and Steve traded places. All they knew was that they were due back at some point today. 

 

Dinner had been cooked by one of the many chefs that Tony had on payroll and had been waiting for them all at seven that evening, once Natasha and Thor had returned. The four of them had gathered in the communal area, the sphere sat on the table for all to see and to be proud of the fact they had in their control. It was definitely reassuring to know that while they had this, Loki would be unable to access the power of the other sphere, even if he did somehow get his hands on it.

 

It was a nice, even an empowering feeling, to have the upperhand, to know that Harry was safely out of Loki’s grasp and they had one of the seven sphere’s that Loki needed to unlock the eighth, which he couldn’t get hold of without Harry. They were all rather jubilant as they sat down to dinner together. 

 

They were all in the mood to celebrate their victory; Tony had brought out the beer and even Natasha was enjoying one. It wasn’t until Jarvis announced that Director Fury was on the line for them all that any of them spared a thought for where Clint might have got to, and even then, they were unconcerned, thinking that Fury was just checking in with them to see how the mission had gone. For all they knew he could have sent Clint on another mission, it wasn’t exactly uncommon for this to happen. 

 

“Did you get the sphere?” Fury asked without so much as a pleasantry to them. He was never one for pleasantries and the Avengers were all more than aware of this, so were not about to take offence nor allow for it to ruin the jovial mood. 

 

“We did,” Thor confirmed happily. He raised his bottle of beer and chinked it against Natasha’s in celebration of this fact. 

 

“We have it here in front of us,” Natasha said, smiling rather smugly. There was still something that didn’t feel right about how easily the sphere had been obtained. However, she would take this small victory for what it was, at least for the moment. It wasn’t like they got much of a chance to celebrate. 

 

“Good,” Fury said bluntly, pleased with their progress and also with their advantage. “And Barton, I assume he made it back to Avengers tower.” He spoke as this was an afterthought, something that he had taken for granted, however the smiles had faded from the faces of the Avenger’s as he had asked this, instantly knowing that something was wrong. 

 

“Barton?” Tony asked in confusion as if he might suddenly appear before them, however this was not the case; the Avengers were all suddenly very alert, sitting up and discarding their bottles of beer and plates of food. “He’s meant to be back already?” he asked, looking around at the others, who were all getting to their feet. Natasha was looking more than a little panicked now, Bruce too seemed concerned. “Jarvis, is Barton in the building?” he asked quickly, hoping that Clint had just gone to shower and change, or taken a nap or something of the like.

 

“I have scanned the building and there is no sign of him, Sir,” Jarvis confirmed a second later, causing the Avengers to share looks of alarm as it was made clear that Clint was nowhere in the building. They were all aware that Clint could take care of himself but with Loki threatening them all they were all a little worried about what might have happened, Loki had been able to control Clint before. 

 

“I will check with S.H.I.E.L.D on the location of the helicopter,” Fury said promptly and, before anyone could respond, the line went dead. 

 

“Where the fuck is he?” Natasha asked, already heading across the communal floor towards the elevator. She wasn’t quite sure what she was going to do yet, but there was a jet in the Tower’s hanger and she was going to take that and find Clint herself if she had to.

 

“We’ll find him,” Tony said, hot on Natasha’s heels as she summoned the elevator. Thor and Bruce following behind the two of them, determined to help in any way that they could. Bruce, however, knew that they couldn’t all run off half-cocked without a plan; it wouldn’t help Clint at all if that were to happen, they needed to coordinate. 

 

“Maybe he changed his mind and he stayed with Harry with Steve,” Bruce suggested but even he knew that this wasn’t going to be the case. No one would have wanted to be in isolation with those two and Fury wouldn’t have thought he should be back at Avengers Tower of that was the case. Natasha knew just how much Clint disliked being a captive, even if that was in hiding and he wasn’t being held against his will. She knew he wouldn’t have voluntarily returned to the safe house. 

 

“We cannot all leave,” Thor said, glancing back at the sphere and knowing that the moment they left it unattended then it was likely that Loki would attempt to take it. They had no idea whether or not Loki knew they had this sphere but after collecting it with such ease he didn’t want to take any chances. The sphere would have to come with them. 

 

“I will stay here,” Bruce said, thinking that the last thing they needed was for him Hulking out on them. That was only going to exacerbate any situation; no, he would remain here and use his mind rather than the green guy in their mission to find Clint.

 

“We need the others back,” Natasha stated rather bluntly, thinking that it would be a hell of a lot easier with their full team. Even Harry was likely to be a good ally in this and yet he and Steve were off, probably fucking like bunnies, while the rest of them risked their lives and Clint was missing. 

 

Of course she understood why Harry had to remain hidden, it wasn’t exactly for his safety but it was to keep Loki’s access to the eighth sphere as an impossibility. Having someone with him was not only for Harry’s safety but for his sanity too; it would have been hellish to be isolated and alone. Natasha held no grudges against him for that, especially seeing as the situation was out of his control; however, it still would have been easier with the team united. 

 

“Director Fury, Sir,” Jarvis announced with a matter of urgency before the line clicked on and Nick was talking to them through the comms system again. 

 

“The helicopter was brought down with systems failure a few minutes into their flight, the pilot arrived back with no memory of anything, including who he is; I assume that this is a trick of Loki’s new wizarding friend.” Fury seemed less than impressed by this, though he didn’t actually have to assume anything; he was well aware of the capabilities of wizards and so he knew what had happened to the pilot. 

 

“What about Clint?” Natasha demanded, trying not to sound as frantic as she felt. The elevator had just arrived but she made no move to get in, needed to get some answers from Fury first. If he could point her in the right direction and speed up the process of finding him then she would wait. 

 

“There is no sign of him,” Fury informed them. “I have chartered a helicopter to bring you all to Washington, it’ll be faster than the jet, you have ten minutes to get ready; it will pick you up from Avenger’s Tower.”

 

“I’m calling the Harry and Steve, they need to know,” Natasha said with finality, hoping that Fury wouldn’t argue. They were all heading to where Clint had last been and that meant that they would be close to Steve and Harry. It also meant that that was likely to be where Loki and George would be. 

 

“Fine but Harry is not to come out of hiding,” Fury said insistently. “The last thing we need is to get Barton back only to lose Potter.”

 

“Agreed,” Thor said, thinking that this was sounding like something Loki would do. If Harry could stay hidden then they would keep the upper hand with the sphere, though it was becoming clear to him that they might have to trade it to get Clint back. 

 

“Banner, you’ll be on the helicopter too,” Fury instructed. “If shit goes down we’re going to need you.” This had been what Bruce had been afraid of but he mumbled his agreement, knowing that Nick was right. “Ten minutes,” Fury reminded them before the line went dead. 

 

“Time to suit up,” Tony said with a grin, always looking on the bright side. He was rather looking forward to donning his Ironman suit and taking it for a spin, though he never tired of that. He and Pepper had parted ways amicably for the moment and Tony was finding that he didn’t mind so much, having this mission and his friends around was certainly helping him not to care too much. 

 

“Better take a few spare reactors,” Bruce said as they all piled into the elevator, “just in case.” Tony nodded his agreement; it had been close before, he wasn’t going to let it get that close again. 

 

\----------------------x 

 

Steve had fallen asleep, leaning against the headboard of the bed, Harry still on his lap, though he was no longer inside of him. Both of them groaned as the phone on the wall above their heads started to ring shrilly through the room. Neither of them really wanted to move but they knew it might be important. Only Fury and the other avengers had the number for the safe house and knew that they were there. Stretching his arm at an odd angle and reaching above him, Steve grabbed the handset, mumbling a sleepy hello down the line. 

 

“Is Clint with you?” a panicked Natasha barked at them. She was so loud that Steve had to hold the handset away from his ear and even Harry grimaced a little at the volume of her voice.

 

“No,” Steve informed her, his tone a little grumpy due to the fact they had been disturbed, “he left with Director Fury a while ago.” 

 

“He’s missing,” Natasha said. “We’re coming to Washington, leaving in five minutes. We think Loki might be behind it.” 

 

“How can we help?” Steve asked, suddenly a lot more awake and alert. 

 

“We’ll contact you when we arrive,” Natasha said before the line cut off rather suddenly and Steve was left in a slight state of shock at what he had just been told. 

 

“What’s going on?” Harry asked, a slightly dazed expression on his face. He had heard most of the conversation, however he hadn’t taken much of it in given his half asleep state. 

 

“Clint’s missing,” Steve told him gently, not wanting for Harry to worry when there was nothing that he could do. However, at the same time he wanted to be truthful with him, they would never get anywhere together if they lied to one another. 

 

“How?” Harry asked with confusion. “He can’t have been gone for more than a few hours.” Harry couldn’t help but feel a little confused about how this had happened, as he started to move off of Steve’s lap, his muscles groaning in agony.

 

“Where are you going?” Steve asked as he reluctantly let Harry go, shifting himself also so that he could follow. 

 

“To shower,” Harry informed him, “we have to help.” 

 

“Harry,” Steve said with a sigh, following him out of the room, “we can’t help them, at least you can’t.” 

 

“Of course I can,” Harry said as he went into the bathroom and started the shower, adjusting the temperature to how he liked it. Clint had always liked it so much hotter than he did. 

 

“If Loki has taken Clint like Natasha’s suspects then he’s done so to get information on your location,” Steve argued, “or to draw you out to make it easier for him.” He wanted to make Harry see reason, to try and convince him not to do anything rash. 

 

“I was fine hiding out here, no arguments despite how frustrating it was, but that was while no one was in danger. I can’t just sit here while Clint is missing because of me,” Harry argued back, his noble Gryffindor side rearing its ugly head. 

 

He had hated being stuck here in this safe house but he had remained without complain because he had known that while he was here the others were safe. Now that that wasn’t the case Harry refused to just sit and stare at the blank walls, doing nothing while other people fought his battles. 

 

Stepping into the shower, believing that that was the end of the matter, Harry started to scrub himself clean, feeling a little grimey from the layer of sweat that had been coating his body from their rather intimate love making session. He was rather taken aback when Steve stepped into the shower behind him, large hands coming to rest on his hips.

 

“Please,” Steve pleaded softly, water cascading down over the two of them, “don’t put yourself at risk, trust us to look after ourselves and you. We’re a team and you’re part of that.” 

 

“But I’m not part of the team,” Harry said, turning in Steve’s embrace so that they were facing one another, “I may as well be another damn sphere with all the use I’m being.” 

 

“Don’t,” Steve said with a low snarl. “Never underestimate yourself or how important you are.” 

 

“That’s the thing,” Harry said with a sigh, “I don’t want to be important.” 

 

“Then we are going to have a problem,” Steve said sadly. 

 

“Why?” Harry questioned, looking up at Steve with concern. 

 

“Because you’re very important to me,” he returned, grabbing hold of Harry more firmly and pulling him into a deep kiss, one hand cupping the back of the younger man’s head to deepen the kiss. “Can you…?” he asked; he wanted to distract Harry a little longer, but there was also simply the fact that he seemed to be unable to keep from touching the other man.

 

“Yes,” Harry replied breathlessly, he didn’t care how sore he might have been, he was never going to say no to Steve, not when he made him feel so amazing. 

 

“Good,” Steve said simply, backing Harry up against the shower wall, before swiftly picking the smaller man up into his arms and pinning him against the wet surface. Harry moaned happily as Steve pressed their lips against each others once more.

 

Harry was about to complain when Steve pulled back, but he was taken by surprise when the bigger man lifted him further up the wall, hitching one of his legs over the super soldier’s broad shoulders. He had no idea what Steve was doing, but decided to trust him, as his other leg was shifted over Steve’s other shoulder, his back braced against the tiled shower wall.

 

It was only then that he really realised that this left him completely exposed and at Steve’s mercy, his groin positioned just in front of his lover’s face, something the taller man looked very pleased with. Harry found he didn’t have any objections either, as Steve leaned forward and took the tip of Harry’s half hard length into his mouth.

 

“Oh, fuck, Steve!” Harry exclaimed as his lover began to tease him to hardness in no time at all, his fingers winding into Steve’s blond hair, feeling a little precariously balanced essentially sat on his lover’s shoulders; though the super-soldier had a firm grip on his hips that was not about to let him go anywhere.

 

Steve released his hold with one hand, moving it between Harry’s legs, while he kept sucking on the erection between his lips. He was under no delusion about how sore Harry would likely be after their earlier lovemaking session and he hadn’t exactly believed Harry when he had said that he could go again; so, making sure his hand was plenty wet from the shower still streaming down around them, he pressed a single digit gently inside his lover.

 

Harry winced, jerking away from the intrusion instinctively, accidentally thrusting himself further into Steve’s mouth at the same time. Harry tried to hide his reaction, but Steve wasted no time in removing his finger and refocusing his attentions on Harry’s cock. He didn’t want to hurt his lover, but he had wanted to see just how truthful Harry had been with him; it was clear that Harry was too sore for another round, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t have fun together.

 

Steve redirected his free hand to Harry’s balls, teasing at them as he took more and more of Harry’s erection into his mouth, determined to take it all before he was done. He had seen a few videos of it and had done a little reading up, wanting to be able to manage it himself. So he took a calming breath and tried to relax as he took the length right to the back of his mouth.

 

He felt his gag reflex kick in, but pulled back and breathed through his nose, before trying again. Harry whined happily, and Steve could feel his lover’s heels pressing against his back, fingers pulling gently at his hair. 

 

It was exactly the reaction that Steve had been hoping for and it spurred him on, as he pulled back before swallowing the entire length once more. He could feel how close his lover was already, Harry making noises that sounded like mumbled attempts at his name. He paused in his movement, breathing through his nose carefully, as he held Harry’s cock fully in his mouth, swallowing against the tip in his throat.

 

The smaller man almost screamed out his pleasure as his orgasm slammed into him, emptying himself down Steve’s throat as he came. It was perhaps the most erotic sight Steve had ever seen, and he reached down with the hand he had had on Harry’s balls and stroked himself firmly a few times, he too came, splattering come all over the tiles.

 

“Holy fuck,” Harry gasped out breathlessly. Steve eased Harry’s softening length from between his lips, and let Harry’s legs slip from off of his shoulders, lowering the smaller man such that they could wrap around his waist instead.

 

“Agreed,” Steve said, as he stole a kiss, pressing their chests together, but it couldn’t last long as they were both still somewhat out of breath from their mutual climax.

 

“Where did you learn to do that?” Harry asked, wondering if Steve had found someone to practice on in the time he had been away from him; it hurt his head and his heart to think that Steve had been with someone else but there was no way that such an inexperienced man had learnt all of that on his own.

 

At the question Steve’s cheeks flushed a brilliant scarlet, suddenly unable to look Harry in the eye. “I um … researched it,” he admitted sheepishly.

 

“Researched it?” Harry questioned curiously, smiling a little.

 

“Yeah, I um… I watched….ah…. some videos” Steve admitted.

 

It was at this point that Harry cottoned on and couldn’t stop giggling; he couldn’t help but imagine what Tony would make of Steve’s internet search history now, because he was sure that was the kind of thing that Tony would look at, but he wasn’t mean enough to actually point this out to Steve.

 

“Oh, Cap,” Harry said fondly, “you might just be the most amazing man I have ever met.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that I'm a little evil... the next chapter is being written as we speak and I even have a few days off work to really get on with it. Shouldn't be too long now. Don't forget to leave me a comment and let me know what you thought.


	13. Deception

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry makes the decision to go after Clint.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a few complaints that there was too much smut in the last chapter. For that I apologise, though I will also say that it was there for a reason. It was to show the development of the relationship and how, in their two week separation, they changed for one another. Steve researching and wanting to know how to please Harry. Harry wanting more than just sex from Steve. This is primarily a romance story between two characters with an underlying plot to that as well. I’m sorry if you felt as if there was too much smut and there won’t always be that much in the chapters, it was just necessary in that particular chapter to show how much the two of them had changed in their time apart.

Clint screamed. 

It felt as if flames were burning him from the inside, out. White hot pain ripped through the marrow of his bones. He wouldn’t tell them anything, he was stronger than this but such torture was unheard of. He was not bound or restrained but he found himself unable to move his body, somehow he had been completely paralyzed from the neck down. 

The pain was never ending but he wasn’t going to let it beat him, he was stronger than that. No matter how many hours Loki and his new companion tortured him he wouldn’t tell them anything about Harry or where he was. Clint wasn’t about to any of his friends in danger and that included the newest addition of their team. 

\---------x 

The atmosphere on the helicopter carrying Thor, Natasha and Bruce to Washington was tense, none of them really knowing what to say to each other. Tony had opted to fly there in his Ironman suit, wanting to see it from his own perspective, and was slightly ahead of them as he hadn’t had to wait for the helicopter to arrive at Avengers Tower like the others.

He was waiting for them on the ground by the time the helicopter set down. He had already flown over the area, but there wasn’t anything much to see; there was no trace of what had happened, the crashed helicopter having been removed by S.H.I.E.L.D. already.

“We won’t find anything here,” Natasha said, glaring at the surrounding undergrowth with frustration. They weren’t going to find anything useful to help Clint here that was for sure. Nothing had been left behind, no clues as to where they had gone or who had taken him.

The whole area was fairly remote though, and none of them thought that this was an accident; in fact they were all pretty sure that it was Loki who was behind it, not that there was any proof of that here. They could all see that it would have been the perfect place for an ambush and were now all aware of the lengths magic could go to, having been filled in by Fury. 

“We need to figure out where Loki might have taken him,” Bruce said thoughtfully, slightly concerned that it was possible they wouldn’t find Clint without Harry’s help. After all, Fury had told them that there were places that only wizards could go, unless you were shown by a wizard. Not only that but they had cloaking charms and the like; Bruce had been fascinated but it had all been a little much to take in. 

In truth it seemed that they would be a little lost without Harry’s help and they might not get Clint back in time. They were worried about what could be happening to Clint while they were searching for him, particularly with the combined abilities of Loki and the wizards he had recruited.. 

“We should check in with Rogers and Potter,” Tony said, thinking along the same lines as Bruce. “I know that Fury said they shouldn’t come out of hiding but we might need them to get Barton back.” 

“But Potter will be vulnerable to Loki,” Thor argued, thinking that it would be a very bad idea to bring Harry out of the safe house and directly into the firing line of Loki. 

“Potter might be the only way to find Barton,” Natasha argued unhappily. “We don’t stand a chance against magic, as much as it pains me to admit this, but we need him.” Natasha didn’t like admitting that she needed anyone but even she couldn’t deny that they were in over their heads with this one a bit, even with out of this world help from Thor. 

“Do we contact Fury?” Bruce asked, looking between the others, happy for them to make most of the plans. He would help them where he could, of course, but strategy on these things was not his area of expertise. He was thinking that they really needed all the help they could get at this point.

“He will already be doing all he can,” Natasha said with certainty. She would never doubt that Fury was doing what he could to bring back Agent’s, especially one of the Avenger’s, however he would not sacrifice S.H.I.E.L.D or the safety of the world to bring him back. This was why, whatever Fury was doing, their efforts had to remain separate. 

“And he would tell us to keep Harry safe and away from Loki at all costs, he wouldn't want us risking him to find Barton,” Tony pointed out. He had grown to respect the direct of S.H.I.E.L.D in some aspects of the job, but the man was still somewhere between being a devious militant leader and a politician, not the sort of man he would ever really trust completely.

“So we go to the safehouse?” Thor questioned, thinking that this was not the best course of action, however he knew how much Barton meant to his comrades and he was not about to suggest another course of action, mainly because he didn’t have any better ideas and also, he knew that even if he had it would have been shot down at once. They were all too focused on bringing Barton back. 

“And how are we supposed to find that?” Tony asked. He hadn’t been told the locations of any of the safe houses and, although he knew them because he had hacked the system, he wouldn’t have been able to tell which ones were active or not. It might take him a good couple of hours to hack the system remotely and there was no way they would let him near their computer systems, not after the last time. 

“We search them one by one,” Natasha said with determination. She didn’t care how long it took, they’d locate Steve and Harry and then, with their help, they would be able to find Clint. She was trying not to let her feelings cloud her judgement but it was difficult with how strongly she felt about him. 

“How many are there? Thor asked, wondering how long it was likely to take them. He knew his brother and when he was determined to do something then nothing, not even stubborn resistance would stop him. Thor strongly suspected that Loki was working for someone more powerful that wanted the spheres for themselves. This would mean that there was only a small window of opportunity to retrieve Clint alive. 

“In washington there are fifty-three,” Natasha informed them, trying to sound confident but she was just as aware of their limited amount of time as Thor. Fifty-three was a lot and they were all over Washington, it would be pointless having safe houses grouped together afterall. 

“Then we had better get going,” Tony said with just as much determination as Natasha. Once again they had a common goal and it would unite them as a team until they completed their task. “We’ll split up, cover more ground that way. Harry doesn’t know America so if I understand portkeys right he would have had to think of a location so we should focus on safe houses close to memorable locations.” 

“I’m going back to the Triskelion, I’ll see if I can coordinate the efforts from there, they should have a record of which ones are active,” Bruce said, giving a nod towards the helicopter. Being in the field made him entirely uncomfortable and he was more than happy to leave that to the others. He wasn’t sure if he would be able to access the database of the active safe houses but he could try and they all knew he had a better shot at getting close to the S.H.I.E.L.D computers than Tony did. 

“Romanoff, I’ll drop you off along the way,” Tony said with a wink in her direction, Natasha only rolled her eyes as the mask slid into place. Bruce headed for the helicopter and Thor, with a swing of his mighty hammer, flew up into the sky. 

\----------x 

 

“It feels wrong just making dinner when we know Clint is missing,” Harry said with a sigh. The two of them were in the small kitchen, needing to at least do something to keep themselves busy before the waiting drove them both crazy. Neither of them had bothered to get fully dressed, just pulling on jeans and nothing else. Harry found that he had been very grateful for Steve’s forethought to bring some of their own clothing as he had been getting sick of the generic safe house clothing that had been supplied. 

“But you know we can’t help, it would just make everything worse,” Steve reminded him as he came up behind him, his arms going around the smaller man’s waist as he kissed at Harry’s neck and shoulder. He loved to watch Harry cook, it was such a turn on for him but he knew that they couldn’t go again, not for a little while. Harry needed time to recover so they were going to have to find something else to occupy their time. 

Harry frowned. He didn’t really believe that; he understood that Steve wanted to keep him away from everything that was happening, protect him, but he hated that they weren’t out there helping the others. He knew what other witches and wizards were capable of; perhaps not George but there were a lot of his enemies out there that would have all been more than willing to work against him. It worried Harry that George had pointed Loki in the direction of some very dark and dangerous wizards. 

Harry had already prepared the vegetables, the small bout of nausea having passed since he had spoken to Clint about possibly being pregnant with Steve’s child and now he was fairly sure he wasn’t. This was until he started to cut up the chicken; the raw pink meat against his hands and the potent smell of it rather suddenly turned his stomach. He didn’t even have time to get to the bathroom, turning and emptying his stomach violently into the kitchen sink. 

“My God, are you alright?” Steve asked, shocked at the suddenness of how it had happened. The last thing he had been expecting was for Harry to throw up so violently and without any warning. 

“I’m fine,” Harry said as he tried to catch his breath, steadying himself on the kitchen counter, Steve’s hands still resting on his hips, the touch less romantic now and more concerned, not wanting for Harry to fall over. He had not been prepared for it and he was feeling rather shaken because of it. 

“Come and sit down,” Steve urged, concerned that something might be seriously wrong. “The food can wait,” he said and Harry nodded his agreement, feeling a little dizzy from the unexpected vomiting, his hands still shaking as Steve helped him to the table before fetching him a glass of water. 

Clint had inform him that Harry hadn’t been well but that had completely gone out of his mind when he had seen his lover again, and this was the first sign that his partner was actually sick. Steve was seriously starting to regret their love making session, a little concerned that he had only made Harry worse because he hadn’t let him rest.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Harry said weakly as he took a deep breath, willing for the nausea to pass. His head was still spinning a little but he was determined that this wasn’t going to hold him back, he still had things that he had to do, people that needed him to be stronger than this. 

“Like what?” Steve asked, a little confused. He hadn’t thought that he had been looking at Harry in any particular way at all, except possibly concern but then that was what he was feeling. He couldn’t help feeling that way, not when he loved the young man so much.

“Like I’m a lost puppy that you want to rescue; I’m honestly okay,” Harry said, trying his best to smile sweetly at Steve who looked adorably worried. This was why he had no intention of concerning the older man with worry over the fact that he might be pregnant, until it was confirmed one way or another it wasn’t worth Steve’s fretting. Also, until it was confirmed one way or another Harry wasn’t going to change his plans or the way he lived his life. It wasn’t worth it. In truth he just didn’t want to get his hopes up when he knew how unlikely it was. 

“Let me at least get you a jumper,” Steve said but before Harry could say anything the older man had vanished from the room. With a sigh, realising that it was just Steve’s way, Harry got to his feet, though a little shakily; he took a deep breath and headed back to the counter. He needed to finish what he had started and that wasn’t the cooking. 

He very much doubted that Steve was going to let him finish preparing this meal when he got back to the kitchen so he had to be fast. The sauce for the chicken had been delivered to them in a packet ready to heat up. Quickly opening it, Harry poured it into a saucepan before going for the potion vial in his pocket. 

Since being away from Steve and Avengers tower, locked away in a safe house, he had been struggling to sleep. Harry hadn’t been able to get any alcohol, something he thought was probably for the best now, considering he thought he might be pregnant, and had been struggling to get any sleep thanks to his nightmares. The times that he had managed to get some rest he was almost always woken by images of death and destruction. He had quickly tired of Clint asking him whether or not he was okay everytime he woke up screaming with tears streaming down his cheeks. 

This was why he had been so determined to find a way to get hold of some sleeping drafts. It had required the use of a few complicated spells, which he had been taught as an Auror as a way to communicate when deep undercover, but he had managed to request what he needed from Kingsley. Harry was very grateful that the Minister sent the potions without question, and amazed that the owl had managed to find him; though, he thought that that might have more to do with Fury informing his brother on their location than anything else. 

Harry smiled at the memory of Clint’s reaction to seeing the owl in the safehouse, the way that he had looked so utterly confused about where it had come from and the fact that it was carrying mail; Clint had thankfully accepted Harry’s answer of ‘Magic’ and an accompanied shrug of the shoulders, without further comment, because Harry honestly didn’t know how to explain any better.

Harry bit his lip and glanced at the doorway to the kitchen, before turning back to the stove and quickly adding the sleeping draft to the sauce. He felt so guilty for drugging Steve this way but he also knew it was the only way that he was going to be able to slip out of the safe house and find Clint without Steve trying to stop him; and he knew that he had to at least try and find Clint. He couldn’t sit here and do nothing with a clear conscience. 

He knew that it was probably both stupid and reckless, rushing off on his own like this, but he couldn’t just sit here and do nothing. It wasn’t like he was an eleven year old boy running off to protect the Philosopher's Stone from a dark and dangerous wizard he had no idea how to fight. He was twenty-seven years old and a trained Auror, who had completed many dangerous missions to keep the wizarding world safe. Though he still had no idea how to fight an Alien from another world but then there was always going to be a learning curve. 

He had gone on assignments from the Ministry without a partner before and he could do so again, it was a simple rescue mission after all, and he had a fairly good idea on how to find them. Of course, he knew that it was likely to be a trap if it was as easy as he thought it might be, after all Loki needed him to retrieve the sphere from the Ministry, but he would go into this prepared for that as best he could be. 

“Hey,” Steve said with exasperation as he came back in the room carrying a jumper and a t-shirt. “Sit down already and let me look after you,” he insisted, hurrying towards Harry when he saw that his lover had already gone back to the kitchen in the few moments he had been gone. He found Harry’s stubbornness both endearing and frustrating to no end. 

Steve failed to notice the empty vial as Harry quickly slipped back into the pocket of his jeans, focused instead on ushering the smaller man back to the table and getting him to sit down again. Guilt churning in his insides, Harry didn’t fight him on it, allowing himself to be lead back to the table and sat down. “I’ll finish cooking, you just sit,” Steve instructed firmly.

He watched as Steve finished preparing the meat before starting to cook it; the smell of chicken was making him nauseous again and his guilt growing as he thought about the possibility of being pregnant and feeling worse for what he had done and what he was planning to do. He just kept reminding himself that this had to happen if he was ever going to get Clint back, that he didn’t have any other choice.

Harry was taking slow breaths trying to ease the churning nausea in his stomach, but the smell of the chicken filling the room was enough to turn Harry’s stomach again and after a couple of minutes he had to make a quick dash to the toilet, where he heaved but nothing much came up. 

“Harry, maybe we need to take you to a doctor…” Steve suggested from the doorway, having followed him to the bathroom. He spoke hesitantly, not sure how Harry would take this suggestion, but he was concerned that something was seriously wrong with his lover, he hadn’t seen anything like this, not without any other symptoms. 

“I can’t,” Harry said as he fell back against the tiled wall, breathing heavily, glad to be away from the smell of the cooking food so that he could catch his breath. “I can’t see regular doctors, my world has healers and there is only one that I’ve ever trusted enough to treat me.” 

“Could you not bring him here, if you trust him…?” Steve suggested but Harry only laughed. He could only imagine the look on Draco Malfoy’s face when he was demanded to travel to America just for him, he doubted the blond would be impressed and could already hear the snarky remarks about him abusing his fame and making unreasonable demands. Not to mention he didn’t really want to give Draco the possible chance to mock him for maybe getting knocked up. 

There’s was a complicated friendship, if you could even call it that. They helped each other, they were civil and most importantly they respected and trusted one another. They didn’t especially like each other, at least Harry didn’t think they did. However he knew that if he was pregnant then there was no one else he would trust to take care of his medical needs. 

“He wouldn’t come here, we’re not friends,” Harry said with a smile, turning to look up at Steve, who was leaning against the doorframe, watching him with concern. “His family and mine... it’s complicated. I saved his life, his mother saved mine and because of the life debts we just… help each other when we can.” 

“If this gets worse we will be contacting him,” Steve insisted firmly. He was not going to take any chances where Harry was concerned, especially not with his health. He would accept, at least for the moment, that his lover believed himself to be fine but if the symptoms got any worse then he would be doing something to make him better. He was determined that nothing was going to tear them apart. He had glossed over the mention of life debts and who had saved who, he knew that Harry had been through war but he wasn’t sure he was ready to hear about his lover almost dying and someone else having to save him. 

“Okay,” Harry said with a small smile. “Maybe it’ll help if I eat something,” he suggested as Steve pulled him up and onto his feet, ensuring that he had enough of a hold on the smaller man to keep him steady and on his feet. “Though, maybe no sauce, not sure my stomach could take it,” he added, ignoring the pang of guilt that went through him again.

“Plain chicken and vegetables it is then,” Steve said with a small smile, placing a soft kiss on Harry’s cheek as he helped him back through to the kitchen, sitting him back at the table, before returning to making them dinner. 

\------------x 

Harry was glad that the nausea seemed to have passed, and he had managed to eat most of the food that Steve had put in front of him, and he hadn’t been surprised to see the super-soldier devour the rest of what had been prepared. “Come on,” Harry said, getting to his feet and holding out his hand for Steve, who was already looking a little drowsy. “Let’s go sit on the sofa,” he suggested.

Steve nodded, giving Harry a smile as he accepted the hand and got to his feet, letting his lover lead him into the other room. The two of them settled down on the sofa together, cuddling up next to each other, and it took less than fifteen minutes for Steve to actually fall asleep.Harry had no idea how long the potion would last on Steve, considering that he was a super soldier and he was just glad that it had worked at all. He knew he might not have long at all and so knew he had to hurry. 

After carefully detangling himself from Steve’s arms, he hurried into the other room, adding a t-shirt and jumper to the jeans he was wearing; Harry double checked that his wand was concealed on his person before he pushed his feet into his converse. However, he just couldn’t bring himself to walk out of the door. Harry stood in the doorway to the sitting room simply watching Steve sleep, hating himself for what he knew he had to do. 

His hand drifted to his stomach and a tear escaped from the corner of his eye. If he didn’t leave now then it was possible that Clint was going to die but if he left then he was putting so much else at stake. He could easily have stayed, it would have been the easiest option for him but then he had never been one to take the easy way out. No matter what Harry could never put himself first, he could never be selfish and let someone else die because of him; he already had too many lives resting on his conscience, lives he had failed to save, and he refused to let Clint be another. 

Going forward, Harry placed a soft kiss on Steve’s lips, trying not to break his resolve to leave. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, but Steve didn’t stir, his soft, rhythmic breathing remained the same, even when the safehouse phone started to ring. Harry ignored the constant ringing, heading for the exit, knowing that he didn’t have much time and that if he was really going to do this then it had to be now. 

\------ x 

“Agent Romanoff,” Fury said as Natasha picked up the phone. She was on her way to check a third safehouse, the first two having been completely empty. She had been expecting for Fury to contact her or one of the others, it wouldn’t have taken long for him to figure out what they were doing after all. 

“Any sign of Barton?” she asked quickly before he could accuse her of going against his orders or betraying S.H.I.E.L.D, all of which she knew she was doing by defying his orders by seeking out Harry and Steve, rather than allowing them to remain in hiding. 

“No, and there is now no answer at safehouse where Rogers and Potter are,” he told her. The director had tried to get hold of Harry and Steve once he had realised that Banner was at the Triskelion and trying to find information on the safe houses; it was clear that the Avengers had decided they needed Potter’s help to find Hawkeye but he needed for the wizard to remain safe. Now, though, he was concerned that the reckless streak that Kingsley had told him Potter had, had reared its head and that the young wizard had gone after Barton himself. That was the best case scenario right now, worst case was that they had been found. 

“Which one is it?” Natasha demanded to know. She needed Harry to help them find Clint, and they couldn’t let Loki get his hands on Harry either; if something had gone wrong at the safehouse, if he was in danger, then she needed to be there as soon as possible for all their sakes. She truly hoped that Fury could see that and understood why she had done what she’d done. 

“Newport Avenue,” Fury informed her with a sigh. “The safe house is on Newport Avenue, number thirty-two, the entrance is to the right side of the property. You know the code to get in.” 

“Thank you, Sir,” Natasha said before cutting off the call and calling Tony. “Newport Avenue, number thirty two; it’s in the basement, entrance to the side of the house. I’ll meet you there.” 

“They’re there, you’re sure?” Tony asked, bemused as to how she had found this out so suddenly, though knowing better than to ask questions. He had already changed his flight path to head in that direction. 

“Yes, and you’re closest,” she said before ending that call as well and heading in that direction, knowing that she would need a vehicle to travel that distance. She only hoped that she wasn’t too late and that both Steve and Harry were alright. With no answer at the safe house she, just like Fury, had predicted the two most likely scenarios. 

The first was that they were having sex, but she doubted that even they, as loved up as they were, would not answer the phone when it rang, especially in times of emergency. The second option was that something was wrong, something had happened and they were unable to get to the phone to answer it. Either way they now had the location and were on their way. If she got there and they were just having sex she wasn’t going to be best pleased, however at least they’d all be able to work on finding Clint together if that was the case.

Thor had already been in that area searching, however he had no phone for them to call him so instead she called Bruce to let him know what had happened and where they were going. He would need to know so that he could coordinate them from the Triskelion, hoping that he would be able to get a S.H.I.E.L.D vehicle to her location. 

\---------X

It hadn’t taken Tony long at all to reach the safehouse after Natasha had given him a specific address; she had told him he was closest so he wasn’t surprised to see that none of the others were there when he arrived in the quiet residential neighbourhood. It had taken a few minutes to locate the entrance Natasha had mentioned, only for him to be faced with what looked to be a highly secured and reinforced door. 

“Jarvis, any idea how exactly we are supposed get in?” Tony asked the A.I., already knowing that he probably wasn’t actually going to be any help.

“I believe that would require an access code, sir,” Jarvis informed him. “I would suggest awaiting Agent Romanoff’s arrival.”

“Figured,” Tony said, already making his way back around towards the front of the house, to wait for Natasha. He could see that a few locals had already noticed him, and he figured it would be best not to draw attention to the hidden S.H.I.E.L.D. safe house if possible.

He felt a little awkward standing in the middle of a residential street in broad daylight. It was a warm summer evening and there were people milling about, pointing and staring at him as he stood outside number thirty-two; a few of them were even finding the courage to actually approach him, and he had already signed autographs for two kids, who had rushed off to show them proudly to their parents. 

It took Natasha another twenty minutes to arrive in her reinforced S.H.I.E.L.D suv, by which point Tony had drawn quite a crowd. It couldn’t be helped, he was a hero, they all were after what had happened in New York and it didn’t matter to these people that they had a job to do. Tony could see that Natasha was not at all pleased to find they had such an audience; he didn’t mind the fans so much but he did agree that there were too many people trying to get pictures with Ironman for them to do their jobs properly. 

“Tony,” Natasha hissed, glaring at him; the whole situation was too much like a theme park ride for Natasha’s liking and if one more guy tried to manhandle her then she wouldn’t be responsible for her actions. “Get them out of here,” she said, not wanting to divulge the location of the safe house because there were too many adoring fans. 

If they became much more famous then they weren’t going to be able to do their jobs effectively. People seemed to love them and she really didn’t care how many fans she had, not like Tony who thrived on it. She only wanted to get her mission done with the minimum amount of casualties; if Tony didn’t deal with the crowds promptly then she would, and she knew herself well enough to know that that would end with a lot of ruffled feathers. 

Thankfully though, Tony seemed to catch on pretty quickly, knowing that they were not going to be able to get anywhere near the safehouse with so many people watching them. He was plenty experienced with how to get people’s attention firmly fixed on him, and it didn’t take a genius to work out how to distract this crowd; he put on a bit of a light show and started swooshing around a little doing a few tricks in his suit, drawing their gazes to him. 

It was quick to work and. though he was doing this, he kept one eye on Natasha at all times so he knew where she was going and that she was safe. “Jarvis, inform Banner that Romanoff is in the safehouse,” he instructed as soon as his sensors indicated that she had gone inside.

Natasha drew her gun, just in case there had been foul play and she needed to defend herself, though she really hoped that that was not the case. Her heart was pounding as she entered in the numeric code and the door unlocked. Scanning the hallway she entered, gun in hand and ready to fire, every inch of her skin tingling and alert as she took a few careful steps into the safe house. 

Moving through the dwelling slowly and cautiously it wasn’t long before she spotted Steve on the sofa, topless and just starting to stir. Seeing that he was very obviously alive she cleared the rest of the house, looking for any sign of Harry but finding none before going to Steve. 

“What happened?” Stee asked, rubbing his head, feeling a little out of it. He had no idea what Harry had done but the serum had burnt through the potion faster than it would have in a regular person, it had just left him feeling a little sluggish. 

“I was going to ask you that,” Natasha said as she stowed her gun away. There was no danger here, it appeared as if Steve had just been asleep, though she doubted that it was a coincidence that Harry was now gone. What she couldn’t decide was whether or not Harry had drugged Steve and left on his own accord or whether foul play was involved. 

“Harry…” Steve said, realising that he couldn’t see him and starting to worry. 

“Not here,” Natasha said gently. 

“He’s sick, he has to be here, he wouldn’t just leave,” Steve insisted, not wanting to think the worst of Harry, not wanting to consider the possibility that he would just leave. However Steve had a sinking feeling in his stomach that he knew why Harry was gone and he didn’t like it one bit. 

“Then we’ll check hospitals, just in case,” Natasha said, trying to reassure the obviously concerned super soldier. He seemed a little out of it still, though he looked as if he was trying to get to his feet and go out looking for the missing wizard regardless of how out of it he felt. 

“No, he can’t go to our doctors, he needs a wizard healer, he told me,” Steve said, trying to gather his thoughts and get them in some resemblance of order so that he could think straight. Whatever had happened he knew that it hadn’t been a natural slumber he had been in and right now he wanted to find Harry just to make sure he was okay before demanding to know what he had done. 

“Then we’ll talk to Fury,” Natasha said as Steve managed to finally get to his feet, looking around for some kind of shirt to cover himself. He wasn’t entirely comfortable with being topless now that it wasn’t just him and Harry. 

“He’s gone to get Clint, he hasn’t gone to a hospital or to a healer,” Steve said with a resigned sigh, knowing that this was the case without any hesitation. It had taken him a few moments but this realisation hit him swiftly and he knew that this is what Harry had done. Steve was kicking himself that he hadn’t realised before it was too late that Harry had ben planning something like this.

“Why would he do that and not wait for backup?” Natasha asked, curious as to why Harry would just run off half cocked without help or a plan of any description. 

“Because he didn’t know that back up was coming, he thought he would have to sit it out and he thought it was his fault that Clint was taken,” Steve explained, finally finding a t-shirt and pulling it on over his head before going to locate his shoes. He was determined to go after Harry and stop him from doing anything stupid. 

\--------------x 

Harry knew that it was a trap, that much was pretty damn obvious the moment he had been able to locate Clint using a simple locator spell. He wasn’t stupid, they needed him to come to them, it was the only reason not to have protected against such a simple spell. He was stood a short distance from the building that he now knew Clint to be hidden in, on the roof of another warehouse, trying to work out exactly what he was going to do.

He knew that George and whoever else Loki had recruited would be ready and waiting for him but the knowledge that it was a trap was not going to stop him, not now he had already come this far. He honestly had no idea how he was going to do this without being caught, but he had always been fairly good at thinking on the go; it was one of the reasons he made such a good Auror. 

He felt confident that he would be able to apparate out once he found Clint, being quite perficient at bringing down anti-apparition wards, having done it countless times; though even that he had been second guessing, unsure whether it would be safe to apparate while pregnant. At that point he had mentally kicked himself and decided that he couldn’t do everything based on that almost impossible scenario. He was going to proceed as if he wasn’t because that was probably the case, and he couldn’t afford to be anything less than completely focused right now. 

He had seen a few people come and go from the building he had been surveying for the past hour, but no one he had recognised, so he had no way of knowing whether they were wizard or muggle, but they seemed to be patrolling the perimeter at a regular intervals. Rookie mistake, Harry thought rather smugly, it meant that after only one hour of watching, he was confident he could get in completely unnoticed; and that was even without the disillusionment charm he was planning to use.

He had already figured out the wards they had used. Thankfully there were very few in place; he supposed this was likely because there weren’t many available to them if they wanted to allow the location spell to work. Anti-apparition was one of them, however, he knew that this wouldn’t cause him a problem.The others used were weak and designed to alert people inside when unwelcome strangers approached; Harry was guessing that these were meant for him. The more simple ones that a child could do were the most basic of anti-muggle spells but as easy as they were to erect it was even easier to bring them down, not that he particularly needed to since he was no muggle. 

Once he was inside he would have to use more magic to locate Clint and he had no idea how much resistance he was likely to find. What he did hope to achieve, as well as Clint’s rescue, was the knowledge of who else, besides George, Loki had recruited to his cause. 

It worried him that Kingsley might have just failed to tell him that some of the more dangerous Deatheaters, many of whom Harry himself had tracked down and imprisoned, were now on the run again. He hoped that his concerns about such a thing was unfounded, but he knew all too well how his luck usually went on such things; and Kingsley had failed to tell him so much before sending him here, after all. Sending him here at all had all been very last minute and sudden. Even missions of dire urgency had some element of planning and debriefing before being sent into them. It just made very little sense, especially since arriving here there had been no sense of urgency at all. 

Pushing everything else from his mind Harry cast the disillusionment charm upon himself. He needed to focus now, not be thinking of Kinglsey and why he had been sent here in the first place. All that was important was that he was here, this was his mission now and that had to be his priority. 

The first step was taking down the wards, an easy enough task and one that he was able to accomplish within seconds. It didn’t escape him that it was potentially far too easy but then he already knew that they were expecting him. This didn’t mean he was going to make it easy for them. 

\---------------x 

Clint laughed through the pain, spitting blood out on to the floor. He had bitten his tongue as another jet of red light had hit him and pain had washed over him. He wasn’t weak, he had been tortured before, he knew how to separate himself off from it all. There was no way he was going to give Harry up to these people. 

“Just tell us,” George said softly, his voice weak and broken. He had introduced himself to Clint when he had first been taken and he wasn’t the one doing the torturing either. George was the one asking the questions, the man who seemed the most broken and depleted. He seemed genuinely horrified at what the others were doing to Clint but it seemed that he had no power to stop it, or simply lacked the inclination to do so. 

“No,” Clint spat out, glaring at the red head venomously, at least he hoped that that was how it looked. His arms ached from being suspended above his head and supporting his weight completely. He wasn’t sure what it was that was keeping him in this position but there were no ropes or chains, he could only assume that it was magic, his feet not touching the ground. 

“We don’t want to hurt him, we just need him to get the sphere,” George said gently; however, from just behind him there was a snort of amusement. Clint’s eyes darted to the man in black robes who was stood leaning back against the wall, arms folded over his chest. 

This man looked entirely broken too, though manically evil for it. His cheeks hollowed and sunken eyes that looked dead. Whatever this man had been through in his life it had not been kind to him, in fact it looked as if it had utterly drained the life from him. 

“Liar,” Clint growled out. He was not about to believe anything these two said. George might have acted nice to him, might not have taken part in the torture but he still wanted the same thing as all the others, information. 

“Crucio,” the unnamed man from the corner said, pointing a little wooden stick at Clint, who had to brace himself as every inch of his skin felt as if had been set on fire. Harry had cast this curse on him, it had lasted less than a second and this man was not as kind. 

“Jugson, stop,” George said harshly, going to the man and pushing the wand down so that it was pointing to the ground. Clint gasped for breath as the pain stopped and he was given a second to catch his breath while George and Jugson bickered; he tried to listen but their words were too quiet and his body just hurt too much. 

The two of them stopped bickering as a third man entered rather suddenly, dressed similarly to Jugson. He looked far too pleased with himself and Clint had a sinking feeling in his stomach that he knew why this man looked so happy. “He’s here,” was all that was said before all three of them left the room, leaving Clint very much alone knowing that Harry had come to save him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? Don't forget to leave me a comment and let me know. I'm loving writing this story so thank you so much for reading it and hopefully you are enjoying it as much as me.


	14. Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry goes and rescues Clint.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the next chapter, please take note that there won't be another until the New Year now as I have a lot of edits on Fragmented Soul to do and I will be spending time with my family and of course my six year old daughter over Christmas. Please enjoy this chapter and don't forget to let me know what you think. :)

“He’s gone,” Fury raged to his brother. The two of them were in the Director’s office, Kingsley having made the tiring trip to America once again and so far he wasn’t sure why it was that he had had to do so. There were so many things that, as Minister for Magic, he should have been doing but his family would always be a priority. His brother had called him and as usual he had come running but then he would count Harry as being as good as family so it hadn’t just been Nicky that he had come for. 

“Who has gone?” Kingsley asked patiently, though he thought that he might already have a clue about the answer. It wasn’t as if Harry couldn’t manage to get himself into trouble even when surrounded by superhero bodyguards. The idea that Harry would keep himself out of trouble seemed like an impossibility at this point regardless of the measures put in place to protect him. 

“Harry; he left the safe house, has probably gone after Agent Barton,” the Director raged, pacing the length of his office, rubbing his bald head in frustration. Harry had had one job, to stay hidden so that Loki couldn’t find him. He had moved Steve in with him, thinking that that would be the right thing to do, to keep the two of them together but alas now Harry was gone and right into the hands of Loki and there was nothing they could do about it. 

“Yes…” Kingsley said a little tiredly. He had been dealing with Harry and his reckless stupidity for the last nine years while the young man had been an Auror for the Ministry so nothing would take him by surprise now. Though, to be honest, he was a little surprised it had taken Harry this long to do anything this idiotic. He had of course tried explaining to his brother what Harry was like before the young man had arrived but it seemed that these warnings had been to no avail. 

“I try and keep him safe, I even moved Rogers in there with him and then he just ups and leaves, reckless, stupid…” Fury rambled, though it was more to himself than to his brother now. He needed to vent and he thought that he sounded a little less insane doing so with his brother in the room with him. 

“I did try and tell you…” Kingsley said with slight amusement. Watching his brother act like this was was fairly entertaining to him, especially after the warnings he had tried to give before the young wizard’s arrival. He was rather confused, however, as to why he had been called here simply because Harry had been himself and run off to save the day. 

“Infuriating boy,” Fury muttered angrily as if this was something new to Kingsley. In truth though he was more angry at himself than at Harry. He should have predicted this; Kingsley had told him how unpredictable the boy was, how much of a hero complex he had and yet he had thought that, like the rest of the Avengers, Harry would sit and do as he was told. Apparently that was not the case. 

Slightly amused by the entire situation and not hugely worried at all, Kingsley sighed. “I agree, but he is more than capable of taking care of himself,” he said with a smile to his brother. It was rare that Nick became this worked up, it was a privilege to see the usually composed man come undone in this way. It didn’t surprise him that Harry had brought it out in his brother. 

“Why did you send him to me to protect then?” Nick raged, turning on his brother now. He had jumped at the chance to have a wizard on his team of superheros but primarily the young man had been here to be protected and Fury couldn’t understand why if Kingsley had such absolute faith that Harry could take care of himself. 

“Because I wanted him away from all the trouble that was happening, but of course he has ended mixed up in it anyway. But that’s Harry for you,” Kingsley said with a fond smile. It had been troubling him how Harry managed to always be in the middle of the worst kind of trouble regardless of how much anyone tried to prevent this from happening. 

“Barton says he is sick, he’s been vomiting. How can he take care of himself when he isn’t at his best?” Nick demanded, unsure that Harry was as capable as Kingsley believed him to be. Clint had given him a brief summary of things before leaving Washington and Fury wasn’t convinced that Harry was capable of doing very much at all right now. 

“I don’t think that he’s sick, Nicky; Harry will be fine, you will see,” Kingsley said with a knowing smile. He had asked Steve the questions he had for a reason and now two weeks on, to hear that Harry wasn’t feeling well, made the Minister for Magic a little smug. 

“If he isn’t sick, what is he?” Fury demanded heatedly. He knew more about the wizarding world than most muggles and he prided himself on that fact. He had grown up with his brother being a powerful magical being, it was part of what had drawn him to S.H.I.E.L.D in the first place. However, he wasn’t fully understanding the hints or the knowing smile that his brother had. 

“Pregnant, possibly,” Kingsley said with a smile. It hadn’t been what he had hoped for, he just wanted Harry to settle down and make a life for himself outside of work. In that regard there were a lot of people who had been concerned about him. The thought that Harry might now have a reason to find some sense of normality bigger than just his sanity was thrilling to the Minister. 

“Seriously?” Fury asked. This was something that he had not been expecting. In his world male pregnancy wasn’t possible. It was something that Kingsley had never mentioned to him before and it was rare that he could ever be taken by surprise but this piece of information did shock him a little bit. 

“Maybe, it is just a suspicion of mine,” Kingsley said still smiling, wishing that he had some way to confirm it. “This is why I think we need to bring someone else here, someone who Harry can talk to and trust,” the Minister said, already having arranged someone to join them in America, though he had been slightly delayed in his arrival. 

“You have someone in mind?” Fury asked, knowing that this was a silly question. He was sure that if his brother had thought about it then he had a plan and it was already in motion, Nick had no delusion about that. In that respect they were so alike.

“I tried to get his healer, Harry seems to trust him explicitly and will allow no one else to take care of his medical needs,” Kingsley said, sounding a little exasperated with this fact. Draco Malfoy was a very specialised and talented healer, having him on call constantly was expensive but Harry would be treated by no one else. The two of them had some form of agreement and bond which only the two of them understood and Kingsley couldn’t argue with that. “However, that particular gentleman is a little preoccupied and therefore unavailable. I do have an alternative suggestion though, someone who fought alongside Harry in the war.”

“Fine, if you think it will help,” Fury said with exasperation of his own. He knew that Steve would not rest until Harry was back with them alive and well. Natasha was on edge and agitated herself, clearly her feelings for Clint starting to cloud her judgement. If Fury was going to get his Avengers back on form then he needed Harry and Clint back. 

“He’s a wizard, he’ll be able to help Harry and hopefully be able to get him more settled with the Avengers,” Kingsley said with pride in his voice; he truly believed that in the unavailability of Draco Malfoy, he had made an excellent choice on who to bring to America. Most of Harry’s friends and loved ones were compromised in some way or another because of what was going on but not this gentleman, who had always lived a little out of the public eye, surrounding himself with work, similar to what Harry had done since the war had ended. 

“Okay, make it happen, and quickly,” Fury agreed, thinking that whoever it was might be able to help them locate Harry and Clint as well if they could get him there soon. Then after a moment of thought, he asked, “how likely is it that Harry’s pregnant?” 

“I couldn’t say,” Kingsley said with a sigh. “I suppose it is unlikely, given that muggles aren’t supposed to be able to impregnate wizards, and male pregnancies are rare enough as it is on top of that. But we both know Mr Rogers is not exactly an ordinary muggle,” Kingsley said thoughtfully, mulling it over as he spoke. 

“You think the serum might have made it possible?” Fury questioned curiously.He had been curious about the combination of the serum and magic but he had never thought that this was possibly. However, he couldn’t help but be a little excited about the possibility. 

“It might have done, or at least a combination of that and Harry’s magical power, which is quite impressive on it’s own,” Kingsley said with a nod of his head. This was the reason that he had asked the questions he had upon first meeting Steve. Harry was the kind of man where the impossible was far more likely and there wasn’t even an explanation as to why. 

“We need to pull Harry out of the field if he is,” Fury said with a frown. He had been hopeful that having a wizard on the team would benefit him; however he could not, in good conscience, put a pregnant agent in the field. It might take a lot of explaining considering that Harry was a guy, but he was sure that he would be able to think of something. 

Kingsley almost laughed at that, knowing how well Harry would take that suggestion. “I agree, but not yet,” he told his brother. “Harry won’t take kindly to us getting involved in his personal affairs. He probably hasn’t even accepted it is possible, given Mr Rogers is muggle, so he presumably just thinks he has a stomach bug or something,” he explained, knowing how stubborn Harry could be, and thinking that the young man would ignore his symptoms for as long as possible. “But like I said, this is why I need someone he trusts here with him, so that he has someone to talk to.” 

“Moves and countermoves,” Fury said with a nod of approval. He knew how difficult it was to keep a good balance and tread that particular tightrope. 

“Indeed,” Kingsley said with a nod, his mind churning over the many possibilities about what was going to happen next. If Harry was pregnant then there was going to be a lot of fall out. He was now thinking that it might be best for all involved if Harry was to remain in America for a while. 

“All to keep one young man safe and happy,” Nick said a little uncertainty, looking at his brother and trying to read him. He was no longer sure if it was worth it to keep a single man happy. He knew that this man had done a lot for the wizarding world but Fury very much doubted that he was worth this much hassle. 

“You know it is about more than that, particularly now we know what Loki is up to,” Kingsley said, not entirely convinced that his brother understood why he had sent Harry here. He was certain that Harry needed to be here and not just for protection or happiness either. He was too much of a high profile target now, he needed to lie low for a long while. 

“I know, but now we know what Loki is after, wouldn’t it just be better for you to take Harry back to England and put him under some of those warding spells of yours?” Fury asked, wondering why it was that Kingsley was so determined to keep Harry in America. It made very little sense to Director Fury who would have been making entirely different calls, if they were his to make. 

Kingsley sighed and shook his head. “Harry has done a lot for the wizarding world, I owe it to him to find him peace and happiness. He gave up his childhood to fight for us. As an adult he shouldn’t have to give up any quality of life to keep fighting; an actual relationship will probably be good for him and if he really is pregnant then I am not going to keep him from that child’s father,” Kingsley said stubbornly. 

“And if he isn’t?” Fury asked curiously. He had never seen his brother care for another person as much as he cared for Harry. He thought that it was sweet but he didn’t think that it was very professional. Of course he had a soft spot for his Avenger’s but Kingsley seemed to truly care about the young man. 

“Are you going to be the one to try and separate him and Mr Rogers?” Kingsley asked with amusement. He could only imagine how that would go, Harry was not one to take things lightly, not when it involved those he cared about. He would pay good money to see his brother attempt to separate the couple. 

Fury scowled, but knew that his brother had a point. Steve was completely head over heels, and Harry seemed fairly smitten himself. “You care for him,” the director stated with disapproval. 

“Like a son,” Kingsley said unrepentantly. He was not ashamed of the fatherly affection he had for the young man; he had seen him go through the toughest of times and come out the other side, not only alive, but stronger for it too. 

“When does this new man arrive?” Fury asked, resigned to the fact that he was going to be dealing with Harry Potter for a fair while yet, assuming they could locate the young wizard of course. All this talk was all well and good but it was all going on the assumption that they would get him and Barton back alive. 

“Right now,” Kingsley said as the fire burst to life with emerald green flames. 

\-----------x

“We’ll find him,” Bruce said, trying to reassure Steve; however, he was having very little luck on that front. They were all gathered for a meeting room in the Triskelion, at least Thor, Natasha, Bruce and Steve were. Fury was yet to join them and Harry and Clint were still missing. 

They were all sat waiting. Fury had directed them here and then said that he had someone who could help them arriving momentarily and then left. He had now been gone twenty minutes and they were all getting a little restless. Steve was pacing back and forth with a worried expression, Thor stood in the corner of the room, leaning against one wall with his shoulder, hammer in hand, looking serious and focused. Tony, Natasha and Bruce were actually sat down but they all seemed rather tense, which was never a good thing. 

“How do you know that?” Steve raged, turning on Bruce, glaring at him. “We could lose both of them today and what then?” Bruce seemed rather taken aback when Steve had turned on him like that, clearly he hadn’t thought that the super soldier was in such a state, but apparently he had underestimated Steve’s seemingly fragile state of mind. 

“Don’t say that,” Natasha said gently, lost in her thoughts, which were all going along the same lines. “We’re not losing either of them,” she added with finality. She didn’t particularly like Harry but he was her mission, at least keeping him out of Loki’s hands was. Clint was her priority and getting him back. He was the only man that she had ever cared about in that way, and she feared that losing him could ultimately destroy her, and she hated that she felt that way too, that she could be made vulnerable over such affections. He was undoubtedly her achilles heel.

“Then tell me how to fix this, how to find them,” Steve yelled, now turning his attention to Natasha, who didn’t flinch away like Bruce had done. She got to her feet though, glaring up at Steve, daring him to start something because she was more than happy to finish it. With a sigh, Thor stepped forward, preparing to tear the two of them apart if it was needed. Bruce and Tony just sat there looking a little shocked. 

“Perhaps I can be of assistance,” a new voice said. Too busy bickering, not one of them had noticed that Fury and a new face had entered the room. Everyone turned to look to see who it was that had spoken, taking in the small brunette man that was wearing some kind of old man’s cardigan, or so it seemed. To the Avenger’s he seemed rather withdrawn and soft around the edges, especially compared to them, the kind of man you might expect to find in charge of a library, and none of them were sure how much assistance he was likely to be. 

“Who are you?” Tony asked, eyeing up the newcomer with interest. Whoever this man was he certainly didn’t seem to be much of anything; about Harry’s size, a worse fashion sense and very little confidence or self assurance judging by the way he held himself. Tony, however, had learnt that Harry was not to be underestimated and therefore he wasn’t going to underestimate this man either. 

“My name is Neville Longbottom, I went to school with Harry,” he explained to them, clearly a little nervous about being confronted by such a strange and powerful group. He kept looking to Steve, worried that the super soldier might explode, he seemed so tense. “I fought by his side in the Wizarding War; I know how he thinks, what he is capable of, so I might be able to help you find him,” he continued, thinking that he really was their best hope. 

“And knock some sense into him,” Steve said with a sigh, sinking down into one of the chairs, feeling utterly depleted. He knew that he was never going to find Harry on his own. Whatever Harry had done to him it was so he could go out and find Clint, meaning he wouldn’t easily be found. In truth, Steve wasn’t sure how he felt about the fact Harry had slipped him something to make him go to sleep. He didn’t know if he should feel betrayed or just respect how headstrong, brave and recklessly idiotic the man was. 

“Believe me, we’ve been trying to do that for a long time, doesn’t seem to have worked,” Neville said kindly, as he approached the large table in the middle of the room, Fury following, and the two of them taking seats. He did know that he was there to help with more than just locating Harry though. “Maybe we just need a super soldier to help us,” he added with a smile. Kingsley had told him that Steve had strong feelings for Harry and to treat the man with care. It seemed that Kingsley was determined to match the two of them up, or so it had seemed to Neville and he actually agreed. Harry’s promiscuous behaviour had always been a worry, he really did need to settle down.

“You’re not going to use magic are you?” Tony asked, narrowing his eyes at Neville in suspicion. “The last time someone who wasn’t Harry did that I almost died,” he added, thinking that he’d very much like not to repeat that feeling. It had been far too close a call for him, he had not appreciated the reminder that he wasn’t immortal and wasn’t going to live forever. 

“No, Kingsley is attempting to locate a second pair of the bracelets like those that Harry has, so that I can use magic without hurting you, but so far he hasn’t had much luck; they are extremely rare,” Neville explained with a frown. He would be able to use his magic, just not around Tony or anything electrical of importance, at least for the moment. 

“So what use are you?” Natasha asked snidely, trusting this man very little. She understood that this man had known Harry and could understand the way he thought in ways that they could not but that didn’t mean she liked him or trusted him for that matter. To her he was just another new face, just like Harry had been. 

“Neville knows Harry, he has a better chance of finding him than we do,” Fury said, wanting to take control of the situation. He was hoping that Natasha would at least respect him, if he instructed her to listen to the young wizard. “Right now we have no idea where either Harry or Agent Barton are; but it is likely that Harry has gone after Clint, which means that there is a chance that the two of them are together. Listen to Neville, let him do what he can to help.”

“I have known him since he was eleven years old and shared a dormitory with him for six years, I know him better than almost anyone. I know he can be hard work, but trust me, I can help you,” Neville said, having expected some form of hostility from these people. “All of you,” he added, though he didn’t take his eyes from Steve; the man was clearly deep in thought, obviously worrying over something and Neville knew that to be Harry.

“What action do you suggest, young Longbottom?” Thor asked using a rather peculiar pronunciation of his name, as he pushed off from the wall and went to take a seat at the table, opposite Fury and Neville, and placing the hammer there within easy reach. He was at least willing to hear this young man out, if it would help their friends.

 

“Oh,” Neville said, looking a little flustered to be addressed and watched so intently by the Thunder God. “Well, I already tried a tracking spell on Harry, but that didn’t work; not that that is a surprise.” He hadn’t been shocked that Harry had protected himself from tracking spells. The young man was going to be more paranoid than Mad Eye Moody had been one day if he wasn’t careful. 

“Why?” Tony asked, confused as to why it hadn’t worked. He found this whole magic thing fascinating, even if he was quite determined to stay away from it now that he knew what it could do to him. He still didn’t understand the limitations of it yet, which apparently there were if Longbottom had failed to find Harry. 

“Because Harry hates the idea of anyone else, particularly those he loves or cares about, ever being in danger,” Neville added, resisting the urge to glance at Steve, “so he will want to keep you out of it. He will have deliberately put spells on himself to prevent us from finding him with magic.”

“Could you not try that on Clint instead?” Bruce asked, curious if that was a route they could go down. “If we are acting on the assumption that Harry is trying to get to Clint, then surely we can look for Clint too and find Harry in the process.”

“That is probably how Harry is locating Clint, but having never met the man myself, I can’t,” Neville explained. It was one of the big limitations of the tracking spell. He was feeling a little useless at this point, and he would have much rather been living his quiet, sedentary life but Harry had saved his life once before so he owed it to Harry to help him now. He had come to America to help, not just with locating Harry but also to encourage him to settle with the Avengers a bit more but they were very short on options at the moment. He did have one idea on how he could help though. 

“Then I ask again, what the hell use are you?” Natasha snapped, wondering why this man had been brought here if he couldn’t help them. She was getting more and more on edge with every passing second; Steve was faring no better. Both of the people they loved the most in the world were missing and there was nothing much they could do about it. 

“I know the man who is working with Loki,” Neville admitted with a sigh. He still couldn’t believe that George would have chosen to work against Harry like this, but that was apparently what had happened. “I am going to try and track George, because Harry will probably try to save him too, as well as Clint. So I am hoping they will all be together.”

“Why would Harry try and save George when he’s working against us?” Tony asked, feeling a little bitter that Harry would try to help the man who nearly killed him, even if that hadn’t been the direct intention.

“Because that is what Harry does, he saves people,” Neville said with fond exasperation, before going on. “George lost his twin brother in the War, and Harry blames himself for every death that happened because he thinks that he could have prevented them somehow. George never got over his brother’s death, Harry would want to save him if he could.” 

“Not everyone can be saved,” Tony said with some regret in his tone. He had seen people die, good people and he knew from bitter experience that sometimes those that deserved to live couldn’t always do so. He had seen too many good men perish trying to do the right thing. 

“Yes, well, Harry has a lot of deaths weighing him down, he cut himself off from everyone after the war because of his guilt. He has a Godson he can’t look at or spend time with because both his parents died in the War, fighting a battle Harry should have fought alone, at least that is the way he see’s it.” Neville couldn’t help but look at Steve as he said this, wondering how much he knew about Harry’s past. 

“He has a Godson?” Steve asked curiously, looking at Neville as if he might hold some of the answers to Harry and the way he thought. He couldn't help but think, with Neville’s help, he might be able to get closer to Harry, stop him from running off and doing stupid things. 

“Yes,” Neville said, glad that Steve had picked up on this. “His name is Teddy, he’s nine years old,” he said, looking Steve right in the eye as he said this and allowing the super soldier to fully take this in. 

“Can we do this tracking spell already?” Natasha asked impatiently. This information about Harry was fascinating, but at the moment their friends were in danger and she hated that they were wasting time standing around chatting when they could have been doing anything else and potentially saving their lives. What good would it do any of them, knowing about Harry’s family and his past if he ended up dead. 

“Yes, though I suggest we head out of the city so we don’t take out the power in here,” Neville pointed out, thinking that he didn’t want to cause any problems for the muggles of this government agency that was likely to be riddled with complicated bits of technology that would clash with his magic. He was going to have to be extremely careful with how much magic he used while he was helping these people it seemed, at least until Kingsley found some way to stabilize it, like he had for Harry. “I didn’t do it before because I thought you guys would want to head there the very second I knew where they are, in case they figure out what we’re doing and move.”

“Then let’s do it,” Steve said impatiently. “Bruce, you won’t want to be in combat so go with Longbottom, we’ll wait to hear from you.” With these final barked commands everyone started to move, knowing that Steve was not to be challenged. It was without question that he was in charge, no one seemed to know why, that was just the way it was.

\---------------------------x

Harry could feel his heart pounding violently in his chest; it was taking a lot to keep his breathing under control and in truth he had never felt more nervous or panicked in his life than on this rescue mission. He wasn’t sure what made this one so different but every inch of him was on edge, his entire body feeling as if it were charged with electricity. He had his wand out, ready for an attack, not because he needed it because while he was wearing those bracelets he didn’t; however it made him feel safer, more confident in himself. His wand was basically a security blanket, a fact he couldn’t really deny. 

He had managed to get inside of the building easily enough, the patrols outside were predictable and fairly useless, more than likely relying on the wards that he had easily been able to bring down before anyone had seen him. Despite all of this, Harry couldn’t shake the feeling that it had all been a little bit too easy. 

Loki was no where to be seen, George suspiciously absent too, at least for the moment. In fact Harry had come across no one as he had made his way through the maze of haphazardly built corridors. Someone had clearly attempted to convert this warehouse into some form of office; however, they had failed miserably and given up halfway through the project, leaving it unfinished and much like a construction zone. 

Because the building had been unused for so long it was relatively easy for Harry to spot signs of life and he was able to tread the most frequently used corridors without using magic to lead the way. Footprints in the dust and even, on occasion, fresh blood too had shown recent signs of activity. 

Harry couldn’t be sure that he was going in the right direction or that Clint would be alive if he did somehow manage to find him but he had to try. He was used to this, it was what he had been trained to do. It should have been easy, but with his stomach churning and his nerves making every inch of his skin tingle, he was not as laid back as he usually was for these missions. 

He had expected to have come across someone by now, it was too easy. He couldn’t contain his nerves that seemed to multiply everytime he took another step deeper into the building. He needed to find Clint and quickly; he didn’t want to be here. He didn’t feel safe, his nerves making his stomach feel so much worse. The nausea had set in quickly when he had left the safe house and had only worsened the longer that he had been out in the open. 

“I hoped you wouldn’t come,” a familiar voice said sadly from behind him, making Harry turn around sharply and point his wand at George, a man whom he had considered his brother, a friend and someone that he could reply on. 

“Of course I was coming,” Harry returned, lowering his wand slightly. He didn’t want to fight George; he wasn’t sure how he would be able tell Molly that he had injured, if not killed, one of her children when she had already lost so much. 

“I’ll take you to him,” George said causing Harry to look at him as if he had gone completely mental. 

“You know that you’re not meant to be helping me, right?” Harry asked, looking skeptical as to why George would chose to help him when he was apparently allied with the enemy. By all accounts it just didn’t make any sense. 

“I never wanted him to get hurt,” George said with a shrug as he motioned for Harry to follow him, turning his back and starting to walk away. Lacking any better ideas but still very unsure about what to do, Harry started following his former friend. 

“Then why are you doing this?” Harry demanded, unsure of whether or not he could trust what George was doing. Harry truly wanted to think that his former friend would never hurt him but now he just couldn’t be sure of that so he remained very much on edge, wand up and overly alert. 

“I told you,” George said with a sigh, “I just want Fred back. I know you say that it can’t be done but I have to try.” Harry genuinely felt pity for George. He was missing part of himself and that feeling would never go away, Harry knew all too well the guilt and the pain because he lived with it every day. He had been living on the brink of it consuming him for the last nine years, George had allowed it to take over him completely. 

“I’m not going to argue with you,” Harry said sadly. “It can’t be done but you know that. I still don’t understand why you’re helping me now, why take me to Clint?” 

“Because they’re hurting him,” George said, not turning to look Harry in the eye and genuinely sounding rather ashamed of himself. “I can’t let them keep hurting him like that.” 

“Who’s hurting him?” Harry asked, thinking that as long as George kept talking then he was going to get all the information from him that he could. 

“Jugson, Selwyn and Mulciber. They agreed to help Loki if they were freed from Azkaban,” George explained as they walked, going deeper and deeper into the warehouse. Harry was trying very hard to remember each turn that they took but there were so many. It was rather fortunate that he was intending to apparate out once he found Clint. 

“I put them all in Azkaban myself,” Harry said with a sigh, carrying on the rouse of having a genuine conversation when really he was just trying to get as much information as possible. It was easy to keep it going, it felt so natural, as if they had done it many times before and of course they had, many years ago as children. 

“Yes,” George agreed. “They have rather enjoyed inflicting pain on your friend,” he said as they came to a stop outside a door. “He’s in here but he’s pretty beaten up, I’m not sure that he’ll be able to walk.” 

“Come with us,” Harry said, looking at George pleadingly. He didn’t want to leave him behind, not after he had helped him. He knew that Loki would not take kindly to George doing this and would most likely be punished; Harry needed to give him a way out. 

George looked torn, unable to give up on his last and only hope to get Fred back. It was worth the risk to him, there was nothing he wouldn’t do to be reunited with his twin one way or another. Sadly he started to shake his head, knowing that he couldn’t give up and not know one way or another if Loki could bring Fred back. “I can’t,” he said, unable to look Harry in the eye. 

“Yes you can,” Harry insisted, “you need to.” 

“No, you need to take your new friend and go before they find you here,” George insisted, opening the door that they were stood in front of, revealing Clint. He was in a bad way, suspended in mid-air by what seemed to be nothing. He was bleeding from several contusions across his body. He was shirtless, only a pair of jogging bottoms covering his modesty but even those were caked in blood. 

Harry couldn’t be sure until he looked a little closer but he was sure that Clint had been healed and then the cuts redone to cause him more pain. It was horrifying to see him in such a state, Harry was grateful that he had been able to locate him and given the chance to rescue him. It didn’t look like he was going to last much longer if left here, he was already unconscious.

“George…” Harry tried to say as he took a step into the room and the smell of blood and urine hit him. Clearly Clint had just been left to soil himself, completely undignified and entirely humiliating. However, it wasn’t this that bothered Harry, he had seen and smelt so much worse in his lifetime, a lot of it he himself had experienced at the Dursley’s as a child. 

His stomach had already been a little on edge however, and the smell just tipped him over the edge. He couldn’t finish what he had been about to say, he could barely even turn away from George before he bent over and threw up the chicken and vegetables that he had eaten with Steve earlier in the evening. 

“Harry, are you…?” George tried to ask before looking around slightly panicked. Clearly something wasn’t right, they had run out of time. “You have to leave,” he said quickly. “Knock me unconscious, take Clint and go, Loki’s back.” 

Harry, still trying to catch his breath and still feeling entirely unsure of himself and whether or not he would be able to make it without throwing up again, nodded his head, venturing further into the room. He knew that there wasn’t time to be sick, there wasn’t time for anything other than leaving, not if he wanted to make it out of there without being caught. 

Turning and aiming his wand at George, Harry shouted a stunning spell, watching with regret as his friend fell to the floor. He didn’t have time to check that he was alright, he could only pray that George hadn’t seriously injured himself as he fell, instead turning his attention to Clint, trying to ease him down gently. 

It would have been a lot easier if Clint had been conscious, but there wasn’t time to try and rouse him, they had to get out now. It was unfortunate that Harry just wasn’t strong enough to lift the muscle bound man himself, so holding him on the ground, Harry focused on the safe house and apparated away. 

\---------------------x 

Thor, Natasha, Tony and Steve were all suited up and ready to move the moment they were told where to go. Bruce had gone off with Neville to perform the tracking spell away from the Triskelion, and from Tony’s reactor too. No one wanted to put it to the test again. 

Steve was pacing, clearly agitated, wanting to know where Harry was, needing to know that he was safe. Natasha, though not pacing as Steve was, was just as on edge as her fellow Avenger. Thor seemed completely at ease with the entire situation, unperplexed by the fact Harry and Clint were missing. Tony just looked bored, with nothing to entertain him, he was like a small child with mischief on his mind. 

“I wish they’d hurry up,” Steve muttered as he flexed his fists, the urge to lash out and punch something was undeniably strong but he resisted, thinking that it wouldn’t be a great idea to do something like that, not here at least. 

In truth he was still struggling a little bit with how to react to what Harry had done. He just wanted him back in his arms, though at the same time, he was furious that his lover had drugged him and run off on a suicide mission. The problem was, the anger that he felt was completely dwarfed by how in love he was with the young wizard. He honestly had no idea how he was going to react upon seeing him again. 

“Call Barton and Longbottom,” Fury said coming into the room and looking rather pleased with himself. “Get them back here as soon as possible.” 

“What, why?” Tony asked, a little taken aback by these rather strange orders; the four of them were ready for action, waiting on the location of George, which would hopefully tell them where Loki was holding Clint hostage, the location where Harry was no doubt too. 

“Potter has been in contact,” Fury said and at this Steve snapped his head up, looking at the Director with wide eyes, unable to believe what it was that he was hearing. 

“When?” Steve demanded at once. “Is he alright, where is he?” 

“It was minutes ago,” Fury said calmly. It would not do to lose his head, not when it seemed that Steve was so close to doing so. “He is back at the safe house, I’ve sent a team.” 

“Clint?” Natasha asked with concern, fearful that Harry might not have succeeded in his mission, that he had gone into enemy territory for no reason. Or worse that he had succeeded but had found a body. She was scared that Harry might have been too late and had been unable to save Clint. 

“He is there but badly hurt. The team I sent is to extract them both and includes medical experts, which is why the four of you have not been sent,” Fury explained when Natasha went to ask why she had not been sent as part of the extraction team. 

“How bad?” Thor asked, concerned for his team mate. He knew humans to be more fragile than Asgardians, their lives ended so much quicker. The Thunder God was more than a little fond of these humans now and he didn’t want to see anything happen to them, even Harry, the newest member of them. 

“The torture was vigorous,” Fury said with a frown. He didn’t want to think about what Barton had been through. He would need to be checked over and maybe even remain in the hospital for a little while. He just hoped that the damage that had been done was at the very least reversible. 

“He is going to be okay, right?” Natasha asked with concern, thinking of the worst thing that could have happened. Her overactive imagination was thinking of the most horrible ways that a man could be tortured. She knew Clint was a strong man, that he could survive almost anything but he wasn’t immortal, he was still only human. 

“We’ll need to access the damage,” Fury said with deep regret.They would be at the Triskelion within the next twenty minutes, from then they would be able to figure out what they needed to do and Harry would have to debrief them all about what had happened. He owed them all, especially Steve, an explanation. 

“Banner is calling,” Tony announced suddenly, his Ironman suit hooked directly into Jarvis and his communication software. “They have a location.” 

“Loki will be there,” Thor said, gripping his hammer, this was not an opportunity that they could afford to miss. Once Loki realised that Clint was gone they would likely move locations hating that they had been discovered. If they were going to do anything then it needed to be now. 

“Go,” Fury said firmly, taking the decision away from those that would have been swayed by the fact their missing teammates were returning. “Potter and Barton will need medical attention before anyone can see them, there is time.” 

The Avengers nodded, all of them agreeing, though some more reluctantly than others, that they needed to make this strike. So, with Banner and Longbottom on route to location, the others headed in that direction too, determined to cut Loki off at the source and find out what was going on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what did you think? Let me know your thoughts on this chapter and as ever, thank you so much for your continued support for this story. I am so glad that you're all enjoying it as much as you are. Merry Christmas (if you celebrate) and have a great New Year.
> 
> Also there is now a Youtube video to accompany this story. Please search for The Affliction of War. The video is by BickyMonster and is done to the song, I'm a mess by Ed Sheeran.


	15. Loki's Leverage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry learns that Loki has leverage he had no idea about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said I probably wouldn't have another chapter before the new year but it was here and finished so I thought that I would post it for you. I'll now be working on the next update of Fragmented Soul which was meant to be with you on Christmas Day. So until that is finished, please enjoy this chapter.

“Get the hell off me,” Harry snarled to the poor muggle doctor who was trying to check him over despite his constant insistence that he was absolutely fine. He had been stuck in the medical room at the Triskelion for the past half an hour. No one other than the medical experts had been there with him and he was getting wholly sick of being poke and prodded. Right now he didn’t exactly feel fine but it had nothing to do with the mission he had just been on or because of any injuries as he had sustained none. 

“Mr Potter, please, we need to make sure…” the doctor tried to say; however, Harry was not having any of it, literally pushing the doctor away from him, thinking that using his wand was a little too extreme in this instant. However he wasn’t going to just allow them to have their way, there was only one man he trusted enough to give him any medical attention and it wasn’t this man. He didn’t care how qualified he was, he was not a wizard, nor was he Draco Malfoy who owed him a life debt. 

“No, go and look after Clint, I’m fine!” Harry insisted firmly, fighting to get out of the bed he had been placed in. “I want to see Steve,” he carried on. He was desperate to see his lover, he needed to know that the super soldier was okay and that he wasn’t angry about what Harry had done. Harry felt as if he needed to explain why he had done what he had done, he wouldn’t be able to stand it if Steve was angry at him. 

“Mr Barton has a specialised team of doctors with him, I am here to help you, please just allow me to do my job,” the doctor said with exasperation. His patients were not usually so stubborn. Harry, however, still continued to fight him, not wanting for the muggle doctor to do anything to him, not knowing or trusting him. Plus he wasn’t sure what affect muggle medicine would have on him, he had never needed treatment before he had attended Hogwarts. 

“And I have a specialised healer, he is the only one I permit to treat me, now back off,” Harry snarled viciously, getting seriously pissed off by the fact the doctor wouldn’t listen to him. Clearly this man didn’t like hearing the word no. He had never trusted anyone to handle his health other than Draco, who had trained as a healer when they had left Hogwarts and all of the best training that his families money could buy and now he was the best without question. 

The two of them may not have been close during their time at Hogwarts but since the war and growing up into intelligent and respectable young men, the two of them found that they understood each other a little better. They would never be the best of friends or in fact friends at all really but they trusted one another. Their families shared life bonds and that would link them and any future children together for the foreseeable future, something neither man minded too much. They could both respect the power and respect that their family names held. 

“Mr Potter, please, I need to make sure that you’re okay,” the doctor said with more insistence. He was under strict orders from Fury himself to make sure that both Clint and Harry were in good health. Barton was unconscious thankfully and therefore not kicking up any fuss; the same could not be said for Harry. What they had been shocked to discover however was that Barton’s injuries were already starting to heal, the doctors had all been rather baffled by this until Harry had admitted to them that he had played a hand in it. 

He had been taught a few basic healing spells so that while he was in the field he could tend to himself. It wasn’t enough to fully heal and get himself back to full health, however it was enough for him to live and that was what he had been able to do for Clint. He had also been able to knock him unconscious so that he didn’t feel any of the pain until he was back in safe hands and able to receive medication. 

“If you prod at me one more time I’m going to make you regret it,” Harry snarled dangerously, attempting to get off the bed once again, this time with a little more force. He was a little worried what might happen if this muggle started to run tests on him. He knew that he wasn’t hurt but if the doctor was insistent then he might very well get a shock if he ran blood work. A combination of magic and the possibility of pregnancy too could be a little bit of a surprise for the muggle doctor and he didn’t want to be the cause of the downfall of the statute of secrecy. 

“Leave the man alone,” Fury said as he entered the room, striding towards Harry and ushering the tired looking doctor away. His presence was one that encompassed the room, dominating over all of them. Nick knew that with how stubborn Harry was there was no chance the doctor was going to get his way. Also with what Kingsley had told him he was pretty sure that he didn’t want the doctor running too many tests any more than Harry did. 

“Director Fury,” Harry said with relief. “Where’s Steve? I have to see him, is he alright?” Nick did not miss the glare that Potter sent the departing doctor who was clearly very happy to be leaving the room. It was becoming clear to Nick that his brother was right and that Harry was more than a little aware that he had something worth concealing. Kingsley had said that Harry might be in denial about it, however it didn’t seem that denial was not the right word, more that he was just trying to hide it from everyone else around him. 

“Rogers isn’t here,” Fury said pointedly. “Upon waking up and realising that you were gone he attempted to go and track you down.” The Director knew that he was bending the truth a little here but he was looking for reactions and the crestfallen expression on Harry’s face was just what he had been looking for. 

“I was meant to be there when he woke up, the sleeping draft was meant to make him sleep until morning. He was never meant to know that I was gone,” Harry said, truly heartbroken that he had misjudged the quantity of potion to give his lover. He had never wanted Steve to worry about what was going on, he just couldn’t stand back and do nothing while Clint was hurting. He had thought that he would have been back by the time the potion wore off, he was almost sure that he should have been. 

“The serum in his system burnt off the potion quickly; from what I can tell he was only out for maybe ten minutes,” Fury informed him with a sigh, believing that Harry truly did have the best of intentions. “He quickly realised where you had gone and we drafted in help to track you down, knowing that we’d need magical assistance.” 

“Another wizard,” Harry said with dawning realisation and Fury nodded in confirmation. “Steve is alright though, he knows that I’m back here, that I’m safe and that Clint is too, right?” He really didn’t care about which other wizard had been brought in to help, he knew they wouldn’t have brought in anyone who couldn’t be trusted; Harry trusted Kingsley enough to make those calls even now, after the dubious methods used to get him to America in the first place. It was not his top priority, whoever had been brought in to help could be dealt with later, all Harry cared about right now was Steve, he just wanted to see him. 

“He’ll be back soon, then you can ask him for yourself,” Fury said with a small smile. He didn’t think that making Harry sweat a little was a bad thing after what he had done. In fact he thought that Harry rather deserved to sit and stew in his own worry for a little while. “Barton is alive because of what you did Potter, despite your questionable methods to get him back no one can deny this fact.” 

“Thank you, Sir,” Harry said as he finally managed to get out of the bed and stand on his own two feet. He hadn’t even permitted for the muggle doctors to undress him so he was still fully clothed and desperate for a shower. He hated hospitals, magical or otherwise, he had seen too many people die in them for his liking. 

\-------------x

When the decision had been made to go to the location Neville had found, regardless of knowing that Harry and Clint were safe, none of the Avenger’s had expected to find what they found, which was almost nothing. The warehouse they had come across was deserted, the only body that had been present was of the red head, George. Consequently he was the only thing that they found, there was no other sign of any other occupants anywhere and they scouted the entire building from top to bottom. Neville had identified the unconscious man as George and then confirmed that he had been knocked out by a stunning spell and wasn’t dead as they had first thought he might be. They had then all unanimously agreed to take him with them to question him and to see if they could find out some information on Loki. 

What had surprised them was how empty the warehouse had looked. Almost as if no one had inhabited the space for years. The only sign of life in the whole warehouse had been George and the room he had been found in, which had had the distinctive odour of blood and other bodily fluids that no one had really wanted to think about. It was the room that Clint had clearly been held in against his will, the Avengers had not wanted to linger too long in this particular room. 

This was why George now resided, still unconscious, in a holding cell at the Triskelion, still unconscious for the moment, Neville had advised against waking their new prisoner from the stunning spell. It was always best to wake from them naturally to prevent the most awful of headaches that not even potions could touch. 

The other Avengers, after finding nothing at the warehouse and feeling a little deflated from it, had returned to the Triskelion and were debriefing Fury on how this small mission had gone. There was very little to tell considering how empty the place had been when they had arrived but that didn’t mean that Fury didn’t want to be told everything. He needed to know about the room they had found that had presumably held Clint. The fact that the place was so empty only proved how powerful the people helping Loki were. That they could make a building seem as if it had been uninhabited for years in less than an hour was impressive. 

“Is Barton here?” Natasha asked once Fury had been told everything that he needed to know about the mission. She had been wanting to ask ever since they had returned, desperate to see her friend whom she thought of so highly of. She wanted to make sure that he was alright because goodness knows what had been done to him while in the hands of Loki. She had seen that room and was genuinely scared for him. It had been bad the last time for Clint but now Loki had the help of wizards who were easily capable of causing a lot of pain and even death with a single word if what Harry had told them was true, which she believed it was. 

“He’s in the medical centre,” Fury told her, “He’s still unconscious but Potter managed to heal him fairly well before we got there. The medical team is taking care of him now and he’ll live.” The relief on Natasha’s face was quite evident and just from that he knew that if given the opportunity the two of them would want to be together. 

“Can I see him?” Natasha asked and Fury nodded, thinking that it would be nice if Clint woke up to a friendly face. The dedication to one another that those two had was not one that he wanted to stand between any more. S.H.I.E.L.D frowned upon agents forming unions but these two deserved to find some happiness with each other. 

“I’ll take you to him,” Nick said to her before turning to Steve before he could ask about Harry, which he could tell he was about to. “He is in living quarters thirty-four on the fifteenth floor, he is in perfect health and even refused the doctors checking him over.” 

Steve remained silent, nodding as he was given this information. He was torn about whether or not to go to his lover and see him. After what Harry had done Steve was unsure if he should or not. He loved Harry, there was no doubt about that, but knowing what Harry had done… he honestly didn’t trust himself to react well when he saw him, though Steve knew he couldn’t avoid him forever. 

\-------x

The moment Harry had closed the door on the small private quarters he had been allocated by Fury, he had headed straight for the showers. He just needed time to calm down and just think on his own. Stripping down and turning the water on Harry stepped under the cascade of hot water. 

He didn’t last long on his feet though. Sinking to the floor, Harry curled into a ball and let the tears out. He wasn’t sure why he was crying but a sudden wave of emotion had just overwhelmed him and he couldn’t explain where it had come from, only that he simply needed to cry. He had drugged a man he cared for deeply, run off into known danger when he thought he might be pregnant, putting his life on the line and then left his friend behind. 

He had rescued Clint and that was almost worth it but was it really when he thought he might have a child in his belly, his and Steve’s baby. Of course he had no way of knowing if he was pregnant or not; however, with no other symptoms and the constant nausea, he had no other explanation as to what it could be and he didn’t think that he could fully wrap his mind around that concept. 

“Harry,” a voice called out, sounding inquisitive, almost uncertain. Harry recognised it as Steve but he remained silent, the water pounding down around him. He sat, curled in his little ball under the downpour of hot water, silently crying to himself. “Are you in here?” Steve called and this time his voice sounded closer. 

“Here,” Harry managed to croak out. He had the sudden overwhelming urge just to be close to his lover, needing for Steve to be close to him. The bathroom door slowly creaked open revealing the Captain’s large frame. 

“Goodness, are you okay?” Steve asked; he didn’t even think twice before climbing into the tiny shower cubicle with the smaller man, sliding down the wall to sit beside him and taking him into his arms. Steve was still fully clothed but he cared very little for this, he also didn’t care that the cubicle was barely big enough for one, so for the two of them it was fairly cramped, he just wanted to hold Harry in his arms. 

Harry, without hesitation, wrapped his arms around Steve’s neck, sobbing into his chest uncontrollably. The super soldier didn’t know what to do; he just sat in the shower with water streaming down all around them, his naked lover crying in his arms, just holding him. 

\--------x 

“How are you feeling?” Natasha asked as Clint opened his eyes, taking in his surroundings, feeling a little overwhelmed by the fact he seemed to have been saved. There were hazy memories of what had happened after his captor’s had announced that Harry was there, until this moment he hadn’t been sure that it had been real. 

“Like I’ve been hit with a truck,” Clint groaned, not even attempting to move, his body hurt too much. It even hurt to breath, he could barely turn his head to look at Natasha but he managed it. “What happened?” 

“Harry rescued you,” Natasha said, reaching her hand out and taking Clint’s, being careful not to jar him in fear of hurting him. The doctors had told her of the damage that had been done to him, the scarring that he would have. Some of it they just couldn’t explain, it was unlike anything they had ever seen before. This hadn’t surprised Natasha at all, she could only imagine what had been done to Clint during his short stint in captivity. From what she had been told she could only be grateful that he hadn’t been in Loki’s hands any longer. 

“Harry…” Clint said with a groan, his eyes closing in a grimace. “It should never have been him,” he added, coughing a little and wincing in pain as he did, his body protesting with each movement. 

“He drugged Steve and ran off before anyone could stop him,” Natasha explained. She didn’t understand why Clint thought that it shouldn’t have been Harry to rescue him, but he was on so many drugs right now so she didn’t want to question him to much. 

“He shouldn’t have,” Clint mumbled as a doctor came over to them to check on his vitals. Natasha gave Clint an odd look but thought better of raising an issue with this. She was more than grateful for what Harry had done and intended to tell him so when she saw him. If it hadn’t have been for him then Clint might not have made it back to them alive; she wouldn’t forget that. 

“He needs his rest,” the doctor said and Natasha nodded, retrieving her hand back and getting to her feet. However, before she left she leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to Clint’s temple, lingering there for a moment before leaving without saying a word. 

\-----------------x 

Once Steve had dried them both off, he had moved himself and Harry, both of them now naked, to the single bed. The room they had been given in the Triskelion was basic, a single bed, bedside table, grey walls and white bed sheets. The ensuite was just a shower, sink and a toilet, there really was nothing to it. 

The two of them lay on the tiny bed with nothing on, barely fitting on the single mattress but holding on to one another as if their lives depended on it. Harry had stopped crying but he still hadn’t said anything and Steve was at a loss for what to do now so he just held on to his lover for all he was worth. 

“I’m sorry,” Harry said softly, mumbling into Steve’s chest. He was a little ashamed of his miniature meltdown and in truth he had no idea where it had come from. He still wasn’t sure how he was going to explain it to Steve either, not if he couldn’t explain it to himself. He was sure that it was far too early to be having hormonal surges if he was pregnant. 

He knew that he would have to go and get it confirmed one way or another before too long, he couldn’t keep banking on what if’s and maybes. Right now it was just before dawn and he was more than a little tired. It had been a long day; it felt like an age since he had been reunited with Steve and had such amazing sex with him, both in bed and in the shower. 

“It’s okay,” Steve said quietly, stroking the still damp raven hair, “sleep love, we can talk in the morning,” he added. He didn’t want to stress Harry out by talking about things now; they were both tired and after the night they’d both had they needed the sleep. “Love you,” he said in a whisper as he kissed the top of Harry’s head, lips ghosting over the lightning shaped scar as he tightened his hold on him, grateful that he had his lover back in his arms. 

It was bound to be an eventful day when they woke up, with George in a holding cell ready to be interrogated, something Harry didn’t know yet, and Clint in the medical centre recovering from his injuries, not to mention Loki still on the run and looking for the missing sphere’s. There was a lot to do but first Steve was determined that he was going to figure out what was going on with Harry.They had a few things to work out, including the apparent hero complex that the smaller man had. 

\--------x 

Harry woke up to the sensation of warm lips upon his chest, kissing their way down to his nipples. Steve took the left into his mouth, sucking on it as his fingers played with the right. Harry groaned with pleasure, his dream like state lifting as he realised that these sensations were not part of his subconscious but very, very real. The bed was so small that Steve was lying on his side, Harry on his back but right at the very edge of the bed, his shoulder half over the edge. 

“Steve,” Harry muttered, reaching his hand up to run through soft blond hair as the older man continued to kiss his way down his lover’s chest. This was not what Harry had been expecting but he was quickly realising that this was the best way to wake up. 

Moving his way down Harry’s chest, maneuvering himself with some difficulty down the narrow bed, Steve took the base of his lover’s erection in one hand, moving the tip to his lips, his tongue circling the head. The super soldier had to use his free hand to hold on to Harry’s waist, to stop him from thrusting upwards too vigorously, fearing that they might both topple off the bed if that happened. 

The wanton moans and pleading for more were enough to turn Steve on to the point that he felt as if he could come just from listening to Harry. However, he was rather pleased that he had more stamina than that, though he was sure that this was not going to last very long. 

In the absence of lube, Steve had to use his saliva, halting his assault on his lover’s cock, he coated his fingers. Hitching one of Harry’s legs up a little and continuing to pump at his erection he teased at the younger man’s entrance, warning him of what was to come. Steve felt too impatient, too needy to wait too much longer, he needed to claim Harry again, to possess him in the most intimate way and just be glad that he hadn’t died. 

Pushing the single digit inside, Harry almost screamed. It burnt a little, the sudden intrusion almost too much for him to handle with such little lubricant. Steve seemed to realise this and instantly slowed down, not wanting to do Harry any harm. “Bathroom,” Harry managed to gasp out, a sudden wave of nausea hitting him, hating his bodies awful timing. 

At once Steve withdrew from his lover, gathering him up into his arms and carrying him into the bathroom just in time for Harry to vomit bile down the toilet. Considering he hadn’t eaten since the meal with Steve the previous evening, a meal he had already thrown up during the rescue of Clint it was a surprise that he had anything in his stomach to throw up. 

Of course Steve was right behind him, rubbing his back and simply sitting beside him, whispering comforting words as Harry dry heaved. He had been told that the wizard had refused treatment in the medical centre but Steve couldn’t help but feel as if Harry needed to be looked at. Other than take him to a doctor, Steve was at a loss of what to do as Harry slumped back against him, breathing heavily, tears in his eyes. 

“Harry, please let the doctors look you over, this isn’t right,” Steve said gently, holding Harry close to him, terrified of letting him go. They had yet to address what Harry had done in order to escape the safe house and rescue Clint, but now was not the time for that. There were so many other things that needed to be addressed first and at the top of this list was Harry’s health. 

“No,” Harry said sadly, “regular doctors can’t help me, I need a wizard healer.” 

“Then we’ll find one,” Steve said with determination. He didn’t care what it took, he wanted for Harry to be healthy and clearly, right now, he just wasn’t. He had no idea what might be wrong, he could only imagine the array of illnesses that could be contracted in the wizarding world. 

“I have one,” Harry said as he shifted positions a little so that he could look up at Steve, “He’s in London though, I wouldn’t trust anyone else.” He really didn’t want to involve any strangers in this, not if he really was pregnant. His urge to protect his potential unborn child from the media storm that would ensue if he was in fact pregnant was overwhelming. There was no way that he could go to anyone he didn’t trust explicitly. He couldn’t explain that to Steve yet, but eventually the older man would understand, if he wanted to stick around that was. It was a deep rooted fear that Harry had never realised he had. He craved for any children he might have to be raised by both parents in a solid, loving home, something he had never had. 

It truly scared Harry to think what might happen if he was pregnant. He might have had many adoring fans and a large extended family to help him if he needed it but he also had enemies. He could easily protect and defend himself against those that wished him harm and had done so many times over but he wasn’t sure how well he could protect a child. 

“Then I’ll take you to London if I have to,” Steve said with determination, “I’m not going to just watch and do nothing; you’re not well.” Harry smiled fondly at his lover, knowing that he meant it too. He was starting to realise that Steve would do anything for him, not that this did anything to relieve his fears. 

“I know we need to talk,” Harry said with a sigh, knowing that he would have to address what he had done to Steve, though he was more than happy not to go into that now. “But can we get breakfast? I’m starving. I threw up the dinner the other night too.”

“You sure you’re up for having food?” Steve asked with concern. He didn’t want to push Harry too far and even though he would have been more than happy just to go back to bed for a little while, he knew that Harry did have to eat something. 

“I can’t not eat,” Harry said as he slid himself off of Steve’s lap and struggling to his feet, though feeling a little dizzy for it. Steve stood up too, ensuring that he was there to steady Harry as he swayed a little. “Plus this room is a little depressing,” Harry admitted with a small smile, turning in Steve’s arms and resting his head against the solid chest. 

“Now we have your old friend, George, in a holding cell we might be able to go back to New York,” Steve said, thinking that it would be nice to be able to go back somewhere that they could have some resemblance of normality. 

“You have George?” Harry questioned, taking a step back and removing himself from Steve’s arms, needing to look at the larger man. “Why didn’t you tell me last night?” 

Steve just looked at Harry flabbergasted, not really knowing what to say, “Because I found you in the shower having a complete breakdown,” he said trying to pull Harry back into his arms, however the smaller man resisted a little. 

“I need to go and see him,” Harry said with a sigh, turning and leaving the bathroom, searching for his clothing, though Steve was hot on his heels. He didn’t want to let his younger lover out of his sight for a moment, not after the last time. 

“Harry,” Steve said, “You need to slow down a little, there is something else I have to tell you.” He didn’t know how he was going to explain Neville to Harry but he knew that he needed to. Since Harry had gone off to rescue Clint things had changed but Harry didn’t seem to want to stop, pulling on his clothes with as much speed as he could manage. 

“He’s just scared, he’s still grieving,” Harry said as he pulled his t-shirt over his head before grabbing for his shoes. “He helped me to find Clint, I wouldn’t have been able to without him, I have to talk to him!” 

“It’s seven in the morning, no one really slept last night, I doubt that George is even awake himself. Slow down, love, please.” Steve was not beyond pleading at this point, it was no wonder Harry was sick, he was making himself so by never slowing down and taking the time to rest. The man was on a mission it seemed and there was very little Steve could do to stop him when he put his mind to something. 

“I know but I want to stop and see Clint first,” Harry explained, “I want to make sure that he’s okay.” He was sure that Clint would be back up on his feet today, Harry had used a few healing spells that he had been taught during Auror training, essential stuff when you were out in the field and unable to have a healer do the job. It was potentially life saving stuff and Harry knew that without this training it was likely that Clint wouldn’t have survived till morning, not that he was going to tell the others that. 

“He’s fine,” Steve said, trying to convince Harry to remain in their room. He had only just got the younger man back and Harry was already determined to leave again, to be back on this mission. Steve could understand the drive to end it but none of them would be able to fight if they weren’t in top form, Harry included. 

“How do you know that?” Harry demanded, looking at Steve accusingly, wanting to know how it was that his super soldier had the ability to remain so calm and incontrol when he felt as if he were about to explode. Harry had to clench his fists together to stop his hands from trembling. 

“I know that because I checked in on him before I came here,” Steve said, going to Harry and encircling him in his arms again. He needed to calm his lover before Harry did himself some damage, Steve could feel Harry shaking in his arms, the smaller man gripping on to him tightly. “Clint is fine and George isn’t going anywhere, we’re going to go and get some breakfast and then we can talk to the others about what we’re going to do.” 

Harry nodded his agreement, knowing that this was the best thing to do. He knew that he should trust Steve, that the super soldier would not lead him wrong. Harry, however, was not accustomed to following orders or working with such a large team of people, he much prefered solitary missions, there were too many complications this way. The biggest of which was that he was sure that he was completely in love with Captain America. 

\-------------x 

Neville had not been able to sleep much at all, his mind had been too preoccupied with thoughts of George and how far his grief had spiralled him into nothingness. Ideally he needed to talk to Harry but he knew that his old friend just needed some time to rest. So, resigned to a few hours alone, Neville had settled himself in the buildings canteen area with a large mug of coffee, laced with pepper up potion. Not that he would admit to the potion of course. 

Lost in his thoughts of what his life had become since the war had ended nine years ago, Neville went down the lonely path of how similar he and Harry were now and he knew that he needed to settle down because otherwise he was never going to have anything other than his work. He had thrown himself into work, just as Harry had done, achieving his mastery in Herbology, which had taken four years and then taking a teaching post at Hogwarts. He loved being back at the school but seeing the young children were a constant reminder of what he lacked in his life. 

He was constantly going for drinks in the Leaky Cauldron whenever he could, just so he could see the lovely Hannah Abbott, who was now the Landlady there. He just hadn’t worked up the courage to talk to her yet. He vowed to himself that if he survived all this then he was going to just bite the bullet and ask her on a date, after all it seemed that even Harry was finally settling down. Better late than never. 

“Neville?” a confused voice said from across the empty room, stirring him from his thoughts. Looking up from where he had been staring pensively into his coffee, Neville saw Harry rushing over to him. It wasn’t a moment too soon either as a fraction of a second later they were hugging. “What are you doing here?” Harry asked breaking the hug and looking at his best friend in confusion. He had not been expecting for him to be there, when Steve had mentioned another wizard he had not thought that it would be Neville. 

“When you disappeared off to find Clint, Kingsley brought me in to help find you,” Neville explained, “Instead we found George but I’m still here to help.” It didn’t escape Neville’s attention that Steve Rogers was standing not a meter away from them, large arms folded across a broad chest as he glared at the two of them. Apparently he wasn’t impressed at the fact that Harry was giving another man attention. 

“I’m glad they chose you,” Harry said with a smile, hugging Neville once again, taking him by surprise, “I’ve honestly missed you.” They hadn’t seen each other in a good few years, at least not properly. They usually saw each other in passing at the memorial service but they rarely had a chance to stop and talk to one another, Harry was usually too keen to escape as soon as possible to make small talk. 

“I’ve missed you too, Harry,” Neville said, a little shocked at the emotional outburst that was so unlike the Harry they knew and loved now. The Auror training had taught the famous defeater of Voldemort to be more refined than that and to think more clearly, without involving emotions, clearly something had changed in him. “We all have,” he added, still holding on to his friend. 

“How is everyone?” Harry asked detaching himself from Neville again and this time taking a seat at the table, Steve joining them, sitting himself beside his lover and taking Harry’s hand within his own. Harry was feeling a little guilty that he hadn’t been in contact with his old friends in a while but the truth was it hurt too much to see them all moving on with their lives when he simply couldn’t. 

“Worried about you, mainly,” Neville said with a small smile, “But they’re good, I mean mostly they are. Andromeda is having a little trouble with Teddy, he’s rebelling a little bit and she’s a little too old to be dealing with it but Draco visits when he can. Apparently Teddy asks after you a lot.” 

“I feel as if I failed him,” Harry said sadly. “I’ll go and see them when this is over, I think I’ve got a lot of time to make up for where Teddy is concerned.” Harry pondered over that for a few moments before turning to Steve and smiling, “Would you come with me, to meet my weird and wonderful family?”

“If you wanted me to, then of course,” Steve said with a smile, leaning forward and placing a soft kiss upon Harry’s temple. Steve couldn’t help but think how promising it was that Harry wanted him to meet his family. It meant that he saw the two of them as more than just a brief thing, how it would work he didn’t know, especially with them living in completely different countries but there was hope. 

“Kingsley was right, you two are perfect together,” Neville said in amusement as Harry visibly relaxed, leaning into Steve and allowing the larger man to embrace him and hold him there, trusting him completely. It was a relationship Neville envied, he wanted to find something like this. If Harry could get over his issues then so could he. 

\----------------x 

Thor and Tony, the moment they were up and about, had been sent after another of the spheres. Director Fury had informed them of such when he had arrived in the canteen and found Steve, Harry, Neville, Bruce and Natasha having breakfast together. Clint was still in the hospital but that was only because he had healed so quickly that the doctors had wanted to examine him. They were calling it a medical marvel, Harry just hadn’t felt like correcting them and telling them that it was magic. 

It had been a rather odd experience for Harry when Natasha had joined them. It had been clear that she was uncomfortable from when she had taken a seat at the table with them all, trying very hard not to look at Harry as she over thought something. It took her a long while before she finally spoke what was on her mind. 

“Thank you,” she had said, directing this to Harry, who had not been expecting gratitude of any sort for what he had done and had been completely astounded when Natasha of all people had offered it. As far as Harry was concerned she didn’t like him very much and he hadn’t been aware that rescuing Clint could alter her perception of him so drastically. 

“It was something I had to do,” Harry said, his cheeks having flushed bright red as he said this, finding it hard to look in her direction. Every year on the anniversary of the end of the Battle of Hogwarts he was called upon to make a speech and afterwards was unceremoniously thanked for everything and everyone he had given up. Even after nine years, Harry still hated it with a passion, being thanked now was no less embarrassing or necessary. He had just been doing what he had been trained to do. He hated the reminder, the fresh jolt of pain that radiated through his heart and the wave of guilt that took over. 

“No it wasn’t,” she pressed on, now unable to take her eyes from the young wizard. “You could have stayed in the safe house with lover boy and let us find him ourselves. You didn’t and he’s alive because of that.” Steve had scowled when she had called him that but said nothing, knowing that Natasha would not take lightly to her gratitude being made fun of in any way. 

“I just couldn’t live with anymore death on my hands,” Harry muttered stabbing at his watermelon. He despised the fruit but he thought it was a safe bet considering he was likely to be throwing it up later regardless. He hadn’t wanted to risk anything too rich or heavy when he still felt so queasy. 

It didn’t take long after this rather awkward conversation for them to start to abandon breakfast, and for the six of them, which included Fury, to relocate to a more private area when other staff members had started filtering in to find their caffeine hit for the morning. They needed to discuss what they would do with George as a team and Nick knew that Harry was going to have a rather firm opinion on the matter. He was not disappointed either. 

“You can’t save everyone,” Natasha said stubbornly, despite her gratitude towards Harry earlier she wasn’t going to back down on this issue anymore than he was. In her mind George shouldn’t just be forgiven because he was grieving, they had all lost people that they cared about in their lives and they hadn’t all turned into homicidal maniacs, at least they weren’t anymore. 

“His mother has already lost enough,” Harry snarled somewhat defensively, “their whole family has!” He didn’t want to go into how Molly Weasley had basically raised him since he was eleven, how she had been the closest thing to a mother that he had ever had, and that each of her children were like the siblings he had never had, including George, no matter how far off the rails he had gone. Even Ginny was still a friend to him despite their relationship not going anywhere, it had been a mutual split between them. 

“You’re too involved,” Natasha said heatedly, thinking that it never ended well when an agent was so emotionally involved with a mission. Thor seemed to be the only one who could handle having a personal connection to the mission. She could even admit her own faults when Clint was compromised by Loki before the battle of New York, she had taken it very much to heart but Harry clearly loved these people deeply. 

“Loki is Thor’s brother!” Harry raged indignantly, “do you think that he’s too involved?” He didn’t think it fair that his judgement was being called into question and his desire to save George blamed on his emotions. “All I’m suggesting is that we question him for any useful information and then we allow for my Government to deal with him.” 

“And what’s to stop Loki just taking him back, it hasn’t stopped him before?” Natasha demanded, not trusting any Government organisation other than her own. The Asgardian had already allowed for Loki to escape once and judging by what they had been told about the other wizards helping Loki the wizarding prison wasn’t anymore secure. 

“What do you suggest then Natasha?” Steve asked, trying to keep the peace but knowing just how fiery both Black Widow and Harry could be and how stubborn too. He wanted to find some form of solution for them all but he didn’t think that it was going to be easily reached. 

“Kill him,” Natasha said bluntly, “If we had killed Loki when we had the chance to then we wouldn’t be in this mess!” She was of the opinion that this was going to be the only way to deal with Loki, who didn’t seem to get the message that the earth was protected. 

Of course this suggestion was met with outrage from Harry who was not going to let anyone just kill George. It was a good thing that Thor wasn’t present because he would have have had a great deal to say about this. Despite Loki’s faults, he did love his brother. The suggestion that they should have killed him at the battle of New York wouldn’t be likely to go down well with the Thunder God. 

“Enough of this,” Fury said, feeling a little exasperated with the bickering. “Potter, go and speak to our detainee and find out what you can from him. Roger’s, go with him. Any information on what Loki is planning will be beneficial to us.” Fury was beyond annoyed that they were bickering between each other. It wasn’t going to get them anywhere fast, arguing about what they should have done, they all needed a break from discussing this. 

“Yes Sir,” Steve said as he and Harry headed for the door, more than happy to have an excuse to leave. If Harry didn’t get himself away from Natasha then he was going to do or say something he’d regret. 

\---------x 

George had woken up, not knowing where he was and panicking a little. He had wanted to tell Harry so much more than he had been able to tell him. He was starting to believe that Loki wasn’t able to bring Fred back as he had said he could and now he knew that he was in too deep, there wasn’t going to be any way out for him now. 

Waking up in what appeared to a prison cell of some description made him believe that Loki had overheard him somehow or found out that he had helped Harry. He felt as if he was going to die and in truth he was okay with that. He felt as if half of him was missing with Fred dead and buried, just gone into nothingness and he had never been able to recover from that. 

There was one wall of clear glass in his prison, a viewing pane of sorts into a corridor but there was no one on the other side. The rest of the walls were an off white with no decoration to them. A toilet against one wall and a single bed directly in the centre of the room. This was where George was sat, head in his hands, wondering why he wasn’t dead already, like he wanted to be. 

“George,” a voice said gently, a familiar voice that had George’s head snapping up to look in the direction that it had come from, shocked when he saw Harry and confused about what he was doing here. 

“Harry…” he said in shock, noticing the blonde piece of muscle standing behind him, arms folded across his chest and a stern expression on his face. George didn’t acknowledge the handsome muscular man, not thinking him important at all, not when Harry was right there in front of him. “What are you doing, why did you come back here?” 

“Come back?” Harry asked in confusion, “George, where do you think you are?” Harry knew that the stunning spell could cause disorientation, waking up in a different place than where he had been stunned must have been confusing, especially to such a disorganised mind like George’s. 

“I… I don’t know… I thought that maybe, I thought Loki might have put me in here, I thought he might have figured out that I betrayed him by helping you.” George was looking so confused and befuddled as if nothing was making sense to him. 

“Steve and some others brought you here,” Harry said, motioning to the handsome man behind him. “They found you after I left with Clint and they brought you here,” he continued seeing that George clearly needed it explain to him. 

“You shouldn’t have done that,” George said with a sad sigh, though he was glad that he was here with Harry because there was something that he needed to know. It was information that George knew would change what happened next as Harry and his new friends fought against Loki. He also found that he was glad not to be in the hands of Loki, it gave him so many more options about what he was going to do now.

“George, please let us help you,” Harry begged, looking at his friend pleadingly. He wanted to be able to save George, he would feel as if had failed if he couldn’t save him. Harry didn’t think that he could tell Molly that she had lost another child. 

“No,” George said, shaking his head. “I’m going to help you.” 

“What do you mean?” Harry asked, now it was his turn to be confused. He wasn’t sure how George could help him anymore than he already had. He looked over his shoulder to Steve who gave him a small nod. 

“Loki…” George began, looking decidedly nervous. “He wanted to assure your cooperation in getting the sphere from the Ministry. He knew when you came here that you would be protected and after the last time he knew he couldn’t beat them to get to you. Loki knew he would need leverage.” 

Now Harry was worried, Loki would not take anything for granted and it concerned Harry what lengths Loki would have gone to ensure that he would cooperate. “What did he do?” Harry asked, needing to know what he was up against. 

“Loki,” George said with a sigh and a heavy tone of regret, “he has Teddy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter and that it wasn't too much of a cliff hanger for you *evil laugh* don't forget to leave a comment and let me know your thoughts.


	16. Dropping of Eaves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A glimpse of Teddy and Steve eavesdrops on Harry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I must apologies for the mistake yesterday of uploading the wrong chapter to the wrong story. Here is the right chapter and I really hope you enjoy it.

“No,” Harry said in shock, taking a step back from the viewing pane, grateful for the reassuring and comforting presence of his lover at his back. He didn’t want to believe that what George had told him was true, that Loki had taken his nine year old Godson. Teddy was innocent in all of this, raised by his grandmother having lost his parents to war; he had been told only what was necessary for him to know and no more, Harry and Andromeda both wanting to keep his innocence intact, even in the face of such a devastating loss.

 

“I’m sorry,” George said, his tone genuinely full of regret as he spoke, unable to look up and meet Harry’s eyes; while he had his reasons for what he had done, he had not wanted others to suffer, particularly not someone so young and innocent, but he was so desperate to regain what he had lost with Fred’s death that he had done the unthinkable without pausing for thought. “If it helps I know that he’s alive,” George went on, knowing this for a fact. Teddy Lupin would not be any use to Loki if he was dead. This fact was the only one he could be sure of right now.

 

Harry was lost for words, he didn’t know what to say; he felt sick and he could feel his whole body trembling. If it hadn’t have been for Steve standing behind him and holding him upright then it was likely that Harry wouldn’t have been able to remain on his own two feet. He was in shock; he didn’t see Teddy as much as he would have liked but he still loved the boy dearly, and the news that his beloved Godson was being held captive by Loki was too much for him.

 

“How can you be sure that he has him?” Harry asked, his voice coming out unsteady; no amount of Auror training could help him keep his composure in the face of such a revelation. But he needed to know what George knew, desperately wanting some form of proof. He couldn’t believe that anyone would have got close to those he cared about when Kingsley had promised him that anyone he cared about who could potentially be a target was safe from harm.

 

George was staring at the floor of his containment cell, avoiding looking at Harry at all, and the wizard said nothing. Steve could feel how upset Harry was, he thought he could almost feel the magic radiating off his lover, but he was sure that he must be imagining it, simply because he knew what Harry was. He remained close though, knowing that Harry needed his support right now.

 

“Tell me!” Harry bellowed, suddenly lurching forward away from Steve and towards the viewing pane. “How can you be sure!?” he demanded to know, his hands pressed flat against the glass. Steve moved forward and reached out, but the second his fingers brushed Harry’s shoulder, the wizard shrugged him off, focusing completely on the man behind the panel of glass.

 

George looked up slowly, but still struggled to meet Harry’s eye. “Because I’m the one who took him,” he said sadly, his voice little more than a whisper, finally looking Harry in the face. “I’m so sorry, Harry,” he added when Harry looked to him with wide, rage filled green eyes. George never thought that he would be glad to be in a prison but in that moment he was, if only because there was a wall of strong, clear glass separating him from a very angry Harry.

 

“You bastard!” Harry shouted, slamming his fists into the glass with such force that it shuddered. Steve had to come forward and take hold of his lover then, simply to stop him from potentially breaking the supposedly unbreakable glass. “He’s only nine years old,” Harry raged from Steve’s arms, “he’s just a boy! Barely more than a baby! Tonks’ and Remus’ baby boy! How could you?”  
“I’m sorry,” George said again but his words only seemed to make Harry angrier. He felt so completely torn; he hated himself for what he had done, but couldn’t regret it either; he had to do everything he could to get Fred back. He would die to feel complete again even for one moment, and now he was wishing he had; the concept of his own death felt easier to face, than the betray written in Harry’s expression in that moment.

 

Harry struggled against Steve, as the super soldier moved him backwards away from the glass; he desperately wanted to get free from the hold his lover had on him, to break through the panel and make George pay for what he had done. However, Steve held firm, softly telling him to calm down.

 

“Stop fucking saying sorry!” Harry raged, ignoring his lover and letting his rage consume him, as he glared furiously at the red-head before him. “Loki will kill him, he’ll kill Teddy!” He knew that this was true because Loki cared very little about anything other than himself. The only thing that this had helped was that now Harry knew what he had to do.

 

“Come on,” Steve said gently, lifting Harry off his feet, knowing that he needed to get his lover away from George so that he could calm down. Harry was already feeling unwell and Steve didn’t want for him to make himself worse.

 

“I will never forgive you for this, George. Never!” Harry shouted, as Steve carried him from the room, his attempts to break free from the larger man’s hold in vain.

Only once they were several rooms away and completely alone did Steve sit Harry down and truly look at him. Harry’s eyes were red, tears still streaming down his cheeks but there was anger in the emerald green pools that Steve couldn’t deny that scared him just a little.

“Harry...” Steve said gently, not wanting to startle his lover too much, he seemed to be in a daze, thoughts consuming him as he tried to figure out what to do. He couldn't imagine what it might feel like to have someone so young snatched away from the enemy, he knew Harry's anger was justified and he knew he would do whatever it took to get Teddy back.

“I have to go to London, I have to go home,” Harry said, his hands going out to take Steve's in his own. “I can't be here when he's there and he's scared. Please, I have to go,” Harry pleaded. He knew that he wouldn't be able to do what he did the last time, his conscience wouldn't be able to handle doing what he had done to Steve again. Plus now he knew that the sleeping draft wasn't exactly affective on his super soldier.

“Harry, you can’t but we’ll send…” Steve tried to say but he was cut short by Harry shaking his head, firmly saying no to this. 

“I’m going,” Harry said, meeting his lover’s eyes, “I have to go.” He needed for Steve to know just how serious he was with this. He had to save Teddy and he wasn’t going to leave that up to anyone else because he knew that no one else would be able to. Loki had taken Teddy as leverage to force him to get the sphere out of the Ministry. They were not going to leave their leverage anywhere that just anyone could find him. 

“And if I say no, will you just drug me again?” Steve asked, looking at Harry questioningly, his tone was not accusatory but regardless, Harry looked up at his lover as if he had been slapped. 

“Steve…” Harry said feeling utterly hopeless and extremely guilty. 

“No, I understand why you did it,” Steve said with a small sigh. “I admit that I would never have allowed for you to go off and rescue Clint, especially not sick.” Harry nodded, tears in his eyes but they were no longer tears of rage but of sadness now. 

“It was something I had to do. I couldn’t let him suffer when it was my fault that he was there,” Harry tried to explain. He knew now more than ever that he couldn’t tell Steve about his suspected pregnancy until this was all over because if he did then he knew that he wouldn’t be allowed to fight and he might just be the only one able to find Teddy. 

“And that is why you need to find Teddy,” Steve said softly and Harry nodded, glad that Steve seemed to understand this about him now. He could not just allow other people to fight his battles for him.

“He’s only nine, he doesn’t understand what’s going on, his grandmother and I agreed that we should protect his innocence as long as possible. We didn’t want his life being affected by war and now…” Harry said, feeling like an utter failure. He dropped his head into his hands feeling as if he had let Teddy and Andromeda down. 

“Then we’ll save him but we do this together,” Steve said, raising Harry’s head up to look him in the eyes. “Harry, I love you, I would do anything for you and that includes this, just please don’t do anything stupid, let me help you.” 

Harry nodded, smiling softly at his lover through his tears, “Thank you,” he said before flinging his arms around Steve and holding him. Slightly taken aback it took a moment before the Captain hugged him back but when he did he heard the words that he had been waiting to hear, whispered into his ear, “I love you.” 

\-------------x

Teddy Lupin was sat curled in a little ball, terrified and alone. He had been locked in a small prison like bedroom on his own for days, though he couldn’t be sure for exactly how long. There was a small flap on the bottom of the door that would open three times a day and food dropped in, it was the only way in and out of the room. A toilet in one corner of the room, a bed on the opposite wall and no windows. All he had that was his own was a teddy that his Godfather had given him when he was born and despite his friends teasing him he had treasured it. 

He hadn’t spoken a word since he had been thrown into this room. Though no one had come to talk to him but he wouldn’t have said anything even if they had. He was sat on his bed, the teddy cuddled in his arms trying not to cry because that was all he had done since he had been put here. 

To make himself feel better he had made himself look like his Godfather, messy black hair, scar and all just because he wanted to feel brave and Harry was so brave to have survived everything he had. He had heard the stories despite his Granny and Harry trying to protect him from them. He had rather enjoyed listening to them and he needed those stories now, he needed them to keep him brave like his Godfather.

He didn’t know why he was here but he knew that he was alone. It had been the middle of the night when he had been taken, snatched from his bed by a faceless stranger, he had watched, half asleep and terrified as his grandmother had been killed trying to stop the stranger from taking him. The man who had grabbed him and carried him over his shoulder away from his Granny hadn’t killed her on purpose. It had all been a horrible accident; his Granny had tried to stop the man from taking him and fallen down the stairs as she had made a grab for him. Her hands had reached out to his but he had been too far away to grab hold. 

Teddy had seen her tumble head over heels down the steps, her body contorting in ways that it shouldn’t be able until she had hit the stone tiles in the hallway, her neck twisted at a funny angel, eyes staring at him wide and unseeing. Teddy had opened his mouth and screamed. He had screamed non-stop until some form of spell had knocked him unconscious. When he had woken up he had been here and he hadn’t said a word, nor could he stop crying, he’d remained sat on his bed, only moving for food and to use the toilet. 

Teddy practically jumped out of his skin when, for the first time since his captivity in the tiny room, the door swung open. A large man with very little hair, a mean look and dressed all in black stood in the door frame. Teddy shuffled backwards into the far corner of the bed so that he was backed into the corner. 

“That is a dangerous face to have in here, little wolf,” the man said, his voice deep and gruff, sounding as evil as he looked. His entire face seemed worn and weathered as if he had seen a great many deaths and caused at least half of them. 

“I don’t know who you are,” Teddy said, hiding behind the stuffed bear, his hands trembling with fear as the man stepped forward into the room, smiling. 

Rolling up his left sleeve the man laughed, rather enjoying the terror in the young boys eyes. He was going to have a lot of fun with this creature now that his only protector had deserted them all. All the new Master had said was to keep the boy alive and intact, that left a whole lot of other possibilities. 

“Do you know what this is?” the man asked, showing Teddy his left forearm where there was, what looked like, a faded tattoo of a snake coming out of a skull. The nine year old gasped, looking up at the large man with disbelief and fear. 

“Y-yes,” Teddy managed to say, trying to curl up even tighter into his little ball, not wanting to be anywhere near this man. He knew what that mark meant, he knew the terrible things that this man had likely done. 

“Stay looking like that,” the man said with an evil smile on his face, thinking of all the wonderful things he would like to do to Harry Potter, or in the absence of the man himself, a look a like that would also hurt the real Harry’s loyal heart. There were so many things that he could do to this boy that wouldn’t leave a single mark on his little body and he was going to enjoy each and every one. 

\-----------------x

“No,” Fury said with finality, “the whole point of bringing you here was to keep you away from that sphere, not allow you to go gallivanting off on some rescue mission, which is just what Loki wants.” 

“That was before he took Teddy,” Harry raged back. He had refused to sit down upon entering the meeting room with the others. Steve had remained standing just to provide Harry with moral support. 

Natasha, Neville, Tony, Thor, Bruce and even Clint had gathered together for this. Clint was looking a little worse for wear; however he was sat up on his own and listening intently to the argument that was going on around him. Thor and Tony had come back empty handed from their latest mission to find another sphere and, although they still had one, they no longer had the upper hand, at least not in Harry’s mind. 

“Who is Teddy?” Natasha asked, slightly confused by this new name that had suddenly been thrown into the mix. If Harry was hell bent on saving whoever it was, someone who clearly meant a great deal to him, then she wanted to know how she could help. She owed him for saving Clint, it would be the least that she could do. 

Neville, who knew exactly who Teddy was, looked utterly horrified that Loki had stooped so low as to take him as leverage. He hated to think about what the deatheaters, who had escaped from Azkaban with Loki’s help, might do to the young boy just to get back at Harry for incarcerating them. 

“He’s my nine year old Godson,” Harry said, he was on the verge of breaking down but he refused to let himself, he needed to be angry, to be determined because if he stopped to think, stopped to cry, stopped to do anything then he wasn’t going to be able to function any more and Teddy needed him. 

Even Fury had the decency to look slightly horrified at the fact that there was a young child involved in a messy situation that was dangerous for them as adults, let alone for a child but that didn’t mean that his resolve was going to waver on the fact that he didn’t think Harry should go. 

“Regardless, we have another wizard now, let us put together a rescue team,” Fury said, standing firm on his decision. The resounding sigh from Neville told him just how this suggestion was going to go before Harry even had a chance to react. 

“You should know by now that I won’t let anyone fight by battles for me,” Harry snapped, he was having to take deep breaths as a wave of nausea came over him. He didn’t want to give any of them any more excuses to say he couldn’t go. 

Out of all of them, Clint was the one who knew. At least Harry had told him that he was suspicious of his symptoms but he couldn’t be sure. However, all Clint would have to do is mention this to the others and there would be an uproar and he wouldn’t be allowed to go anywhere, something he couldn’t allow to happen. 

“It is a trap,” Thor pointed out, his arms folded across his chest and frowning at Harry’s suggestion. He did not approve of the tactics his brother was using but regardless he was not exactly surprised. 

“I think we can all agree on that,” Tony said with slight amusement. There was no use in debating the point that it was a trap. Loki had taken someone that guaranteed the man he needed coming to him, a very smart move. It was just a shame it was a play against them. 

“Harry, if there is no way to dissuade you from going yourself, just promise that you will let us help you,” Neville said and Harry looked to him and smiled. He had truly missed his old friend, he at least understood him and his need not to just sit back and allow for other people to lay down their lives when he was safe and out of harm’s way. 

“That I can promise you,” Harry said looking to Steve and giving him a soft smile. The super soldier came up behind him and just stood there, wanting to give Harry his support. The wizard was looking a little pale and Steve knew that he didn’t want to appear weak so he just did what he could to make sure that Harry remained strong. “Another promise is that Tony won’t be involved in this fight, there will be too much magic, I don’t want to hurt you either.” 

“Damn, and I was so looking forward to almost dying again,” Tony said with heavy sarcasm. He had been worried about going up against magic again, not that he would ever show his concern of course, he’d never let his cool facade of cocky indifference falter even for a second but he was still rather glad that he wouldn’t be going. 

“I was actually thinking that Bruce could stay behind with you,” Harry said hopefully, casting a glance over to Bruce who nodded gratefully. He didn’t want the green guy getting involved on this one. He was more than happy to help from a distance, this was not a mission they needed brute strenght for. 

“For what purpose?” Fury demanded, not liking that Harry had taken charge of assignments. Normally it would be the Captain who would be the one to dish out orders, not his boyfriend. If this was going to be the way of it from now on then Fury wanted the reasoning behind the decisions. 

“Someone helped Loki,” Harry said as he swayed a little on his feet, he was grateful when Steve placed a hand on his hip to keep him steady. “We need to find out who. Also we have one of the sphere’s here, they can protect it and look into how they work. If it comes to it then we’ll need to know how to stop them extracting the power.” 

“What would it take for you to stay here?” Clint asked suddenly, looking at Harry, who glared at him in return. “You’re sick, you shouldn’t be going.” His tone was pointed and Harry knew that he hadn’t said what he had wanted to because he had glanced to Steve, picking his words very carefully. 

Neville looked utterly confused, he knew that Harry hadn’t been in top fighting condition but it confused him that Clint thought he was unwell. “Wizards don’t get sick,” he said looking at Harry as if trying to work it out, “not regular muggle illnesses anyway.” 

“Harry, is this true?” Steve asked, looking at his boyfriend with concern. He understood that, as a wizard, Harry couldn't go and see a regular doctor like normal people could and that he needed a magical healer, however he had not been aware of the fact that it was not going to be a regular illness. He supposed that he probably should have put two and two together but he hadn’t really wanted to think about it that closely. 

“It’s true,” Harry said looking to Steve somewhat apologetically; it wasn’t that he had specifically not told his lover this, it was just that he hadn’t wanted to full out lie to him. Harry knew that it wasn’t going to be a regular muggle illness, the way things were going it was going to be a whole lot more than that. “And I’m not staying behind, though, seeing as we’re going to London anyway I will make time to visit my healer if if makes you all happy.” 

“So that settles it,” Natasha said pointedly, looking between her team members, “Most of us will be going to London.” Clint, Steve, Thor, Harry and Neville nodded their agreement to this plan. None of them knew where Teddy might be being held captive but they could figure that out when they got there. 

“So it would seem,” Fury said with a frown. He didn’t particularly like the idea of them all going off to London, especially not Harry but there were many reasons for that. He wanted to talk to Clint and see what he knew because clearly Barton knew something that he hadn’t shared before. 

“Harry,” Neville said as the room fell silent, “Can I have a word, in private,” he asked and looking a little worried, Harry nodded. He knew what this was going to be about and he was actually rather grateful that Neville had figured it out. 

It wasn’t as if he could talk about this to Clint, Clint just wouldn’t understand the workings of it all. Neville, however, having grown up in the wizarding world, would know or at least have more insight into what he was going through right now. Dean and Seamus had had a little boy together two years ago and Neville had been named as Godfather so he would at least know more than Harry did. 

Harry gave Steve’s hand a brief squeeze before separating from him, heading for the door with Neville right behind him. Leaving the room, ensuring that the door was shut firmly behind them, the two wizards headed down the corridor to ensure privacy. 

“I know you might not want me to ask this but…” Neville began, though he never got a chance to finish asking his question. 

“I think I’m pregnant,” Harry blurted out. It was what Neville had been expecting but he still couldn’t help but look a little shocked. “I haven’t had it confirmed,” Harry admitted, “but it’s the only thing that makes sense.”

“I don’t know the spell to confirm it,” Neville said with a frown, thinking it over. “But you promise you’ll go and see Draco the moment we get home and confirm it either way.” 

“I will,” Harry said with a sigh, knowing that he would have to and there was not going to be any escape from that now. Clint knew and now Neville, Harry had very little choice other than to just get it over with. He knew that he would have to find out eventually but not knowing was somehow easier, at least it was until they were out of danger. 

“Do you know who the father is?” Neville asked, thinking that he had to be sure, after all Harry did have a reputation for being somewhat promiscuous. It was far more likely for a wizard to have impregnated his friend than Steve so it was a question that he had to ask. 

“There was never any doubt,” Harry said fiercely. He did not appreciate the question; he had always been careful with the others, he hadn’t been stupid enough to risk it with the hundreds of men he had slept with and regardless he had topped with most of them. 

He honestly hadn’t thought that it was possible for muggles to get a wizard pregnant, if he had known that the serum would change that then he would have been more cautious. He didn’t even know for sure, at least it hadn’t been confirmed by a medical professional; however, Harry just seemed to know. It was a feeling that he had, things were just different now. 

“Harry…” Neville said with a sigh, wanting for his friend to understand why it was that he had had to ask this question. “Muggles can’t…” he began to say but Harry shook his head. 

“Normal muggles can’t,” Harry snapped irritably, he didn’t think that he deserved all the questions. It wasn’t like he had defiled Avenger’s tower by sleeping with each and every one of the Avenger’s. He hadn’t slept with anyone other than Steve since he had arrived in America. “Steve isn’t exactly a normal muggle, the serum makes him special, he is the father.” 

“As long as you’re sure,” Neville said, finding some comfort in the fact that Harry was so confident that he knew who the father was. “Have you spoken to him, does he know anything about this?” 

“Do you think that I’d be going on this mission to rescue Teddy if he did?” Harry asked, knowing that Neville would know the answer to that particular question. Neville hadn’t been with them for that long but he had already seen just how possessive Steve could be. Harry dreaded the thought of how the super soldier would be when he found out he was going to be a father. 

“Point taken,” Neville said with a small laugh, “you know I had to ask that, I wanted to know that you were sure.” Harry nodded, in some ways he did understand why Neville had asked him but it still hurt that his friend had had to ask. He didn’t want to be that person where there were questions on the parentage of his child. 

“Now we just have to get to London,” Harry said with a sigh. Thinking of the long flight that he had had to endure to get here was not filling him with happiness right now, however he wasn’t sure how they were going to transport the team using magical methods, he didn’t think that it would be allowed. 

“I think Fury might have a solution to that,” Neville said, “he usually does.” Harry smiled and nodded at his friend as the two of them headed back to the room where the rest of the Avengers were sitting.

\---------------x 

In the end the flight was booked for early the next morning. Fury had arranged for a S.H.I.E.L.D jet to take them directly to London, something which Harry was grateful for; he hadn’t wanted to get on another public aeroplane if he could help it. He had been slightly annoyed by the fact they couldn’t leave straight away but after everything they had all been through the extra nights rest would do them all the world of good. 

It was only lunch time and they had the rest of the day to do whatever it was that they needed to do. Of course to Tony and Bruce that meant using the Triskelion resources before they travelled by helicopter back to Avengers tower to start their research on the spheres and how they worked when all of them were united. They had vanished off before Neville and Harry had returned from their private chat. Natasha had gone off with Fury and Clint, apparently they had more to discuss just between the three of them.

Neville had decided that he was going to go and examine some of the research that Tony and Bruce were doing, thinking that it would be fascinating. Also, he could see Steve watching him, clearly wanting to talk to him. He didn’t particularly want to talk to the super soldier, he just wouldn’t feel comfortable having any sort of conversation with Steve, not if the subject was Harry. 

Thor had gone off to see Jane and ensure that she was safe; he didn’t want to take any chances where she was concerned. Harry’s family, the people that he cared for, had been taken by Loki and Thor feared that Jane could be used against him. He would not put it past his adopted brother and he wanted to make sure that she would not be touched in this battle. 

Feeling better than he had done in days, Harry had opted to go to the workout room that the Triskelion provided for its staff. He had thought that just focusing on working out for a while and not thinking about anything would be good for a while. He needed to lose himself for a while and be on his own so he could get his head around everything. Tomorrow he would be going to London and he would have his pregnancy confirmed one way or another. He already knew, deep down he just knew, he didn’t need the test. 

Steve had reluctantly agreed to separate from Harry for a few hours and go off and read for a while. He had a lot of questions for his lover, however, they could wait for a few more hours. He was suspicious of what was going on with Harry and the most frustrating thing was that he knew that now Neville knew more than he did. He and Harry would be sharing a room and more importantly a bed this evening and he could talk to him then. 

Harry wasn’t alone in the training room for long, he had hoped that he could just forget himself but very quickly Clint had joined him. He still wasn’t at his best but thanks to the healing spells that Harry had done on him he was a lot better than he should have been considering what had been done to him. 

“How are you feeling?” Harry asked, stopping his assault on the punching bag and turning to give his attention to Clint who was stretching out on the mats across from him. The archer gave Harry a wary look before sighing, clearly realising that he wasn’t going to be getting the peaceful work out that he had wanted. 

“Better, thanks to you,” he said, though he sounded less than enthused about this, which made Harry frown. “It shouldn’t have been you,” Clint said, finding that he needed to explain why he was rather unhappy to Harry, “not with… you know.” 

“Oh,” Harry said with an expression of understanding passing over his face. “No one else would have been able to find you,” he explained, “I just didn’t want you to be hurting anymore.” 

“That I appreciate,” Clint said with a nod of his head as Harry came forward to join him on the mats. This is what he had wanted to avoid; he didn’t want to train with Harry because, in all honesty, he was scared that he might hurt the child in Harry’s belly, “but it still shouldn’t have been you.” 

“Come on, let’s go a round or too,” Harry said, wanting to change the subject. He didn’t want gratitude from Clint, Harry had done what he thought was the right thing to do and he wouldn’t regret that, not with Clint back with them and very much alive. “It might relieve some of that stress.”

“Hell no,” Clint said at once. He had hoped that Harry wouldn’t ask, that the wizard would have the sense to be a little bit sensible. Clint should have known, however, that sensible was not something Harry was capable of being very often. 

“Why not?” Harry asked with a pout, “still sore from the fact I beat you last time?” 

“No,” Clint snapped, feeling rather testily about that particular subject, “I just don’t want to get beaten up by Captain America when we get carried away.” 

“Carried away?” Harry asked with an amused grin, “do you fancy me Clint?” Harry teased unable to help himself, enjoying watching his friend squirm far too much. 

“Hell no,” Clint said, his nose wrinkling in disgust, “I mean, no offence but you’re just not my type.” At this Harry couldn’t help but laugh, it was a lot of fun watching Clint get increasingly more uncomfortable with each sentence. 

“Then why won’t you go a couple rounds with me?” Harry was genuinely confused as to why Clint thought that Steve would beat him up for doing something as innocent as training with him. It wasn’t as if Steve was that insanely jealous, he was only a little possessive but Harry found that he rather liked that side of his lover. 

“I told you,” Clint said a little more firmly this time, “I am not being on the receiving end of a few punches from the Captain after he finds out I’ve been beating up his pregnant boyfriend!” 

“Oh,” Harry said as realisation dawned on him, “Clint…” 

“No,” Clint said a little forcefully, interrupting whatever it was that Harry had been about to say, “you might not have had it confirmed but I can see it in the way you act and that secret little chat you had with your friend. You just hold yourself... differently.”

Harry looked shocked at this, he honestly hadn’t thought he had been acting any differently at all. “I haven’t told Steve yet,” Harry said, “I don’t want to, not yet… not until I know for sure.” 

“I get that,” Clint said, “but I’m still not training with you.” 

“I’m pretty sure that my magic and Steve’s super serum are pretty much going to be making this baby almost invincible,” Harry said with a laugh. “I don’t think you have anything to worry about.” 

“Still, not risking it,” Clint said firmly causing Harry to roll his eyes and smile. He couldn’t blame Clint for not wanting to train with him but it still made him feel a little sad; he had rather enjoyed sparring with him. 

“Just, please don’t tell anyone else, I don’t want everyone treating me as if I’m going to break or can’t complete this mission. It isn’t even a sure thing right now,” Harry pleaded, not wanting to either worry or get his hopes up unnecessarily. 

Harry wasn’t sure what Steve’s reaction would be. It wasn’t as if they had known each other for a huge amount of time or even gone out on a proper date and now he was probably pregnant. Harry almost hoped that he wasn’t just to save himself from the awkward conversation of telling him. 

“Fury asked,” Clint said, “he wanted to know if it was true, I think your wizard friend, the older one mentioned something.” 

“Kingsley?” Harry questioned, looking a little confused as to how the Minister for Magic would know that he thought he might be pregnant before he had said anything to anyone other than Clint and Neville. He knew that Neville wouldn’t have had the chance to tell Kingsley anything because he’d only just told him. 

“Yeah, that’s the one,” Clint said as he moved over to a weight machine, setting it up to use. Harry followed him over and watched as Hawkeye settled himself on the machine. 

“Wonder how he found out,” Harry mused, watching keenly as Clint’s arm muscles began to flex as he pulled the weight. It was a rather mesmerizing sight to behold and it wasn’t one that Harry wanted to give up just yet. 

“No idea,” Clint said with a grunt, trying not to think about the way Harry was ogling him. He didn’t mind the attention, it was actually rather flattering but it did make him slightly uncomfortable. “Though, if you’re going to keep staring at me like that your boyfriend might have a whole lot of other issues,” Clint joked and was actually rather amused when Harry’s cheeks flushed a brilliant scarlet. 

“I’m just going to… yeah,” Harry said, highly embarrassed and determined to go back to his workout before he managed to embarrass himself further. 

\--------------x

Steve had become rather bored sitting on his own. Wanting to go and watch Harry work out for a while, Steve had headed to the Triskelion gym. He hadn’t wanted Harry to know that he was there, thinking that it would be too much like overcrowding him; so he had snuck in and settled himself behind a fair few machines out of sight. 

He had been completely mesmerized until Clint had come in and he and Harry had started talking. From that point on Steve had been more than a little horrified. He had known that Harry wasn’t well but pregnancy… it was not something that he had been expecting. 

In truth he didn’t know how he felt. He knew that he loved Harry, there was no doubt in his mind about that but he had never expected for them to even be able to have a child of their own. In fact children hadn’t even crossed his mind considering they hadn’t been together that long. 

Steve had to keep reminding himself that it wasn’t confirmed yet and that it was only a potential thing. It was the way that Harry spoke about it though, it had made it sound like such a certainty. A little confused and needing some time to process what he had overheard, Steve had slipped quietly from the room, thinking that he needed to get out of the Triskelion for a while and just go for a run.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think? Leave a comment and let me know! I can't wait to hear your thoughts.


	17. Fury's Desk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Harry take their relationship to the next level.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is an early birthday present for Starlight Mass, who requested that I write this story, and I'm so very pleased that she did. Please enjoy the chapter as I work tirelessly on writing the next one. Don't forget to leave a lovely comment to spur me on.

“Where’s Steve?” Harry asked as he and Clint arrived in the Triskelion canteen for their evening meal. The team had all done their own separate things for the afternoon and they were all now planning to eat before getting an early night. The plane to London would depart shortly after dawn and it would be no good if they were exhausted. 

“He’s not back yet,” Natasha said as Clint took a seat beside her, “he went running,” she informed him not finding it in the least bit unusual that Harry didn’t know where Steve was and she was fairly disinterested by the worried undertone that the wizard had in his voice. She would be forever grateful for what Harry had done in regards to rescuing Clint but that didn’t mean that the two of them were going to be the best of friends. Friends was something that she didn’t do very well, she tended not to want to trust people further than working with them, she had too many secrets to conceal and the only one whom she had ever trusted with them was Clint. 

“Oh,” Harry said, feeling a little heartbroken that Steve hadn’t come and told him that he was going out for a run. It wasn’t that he thought he needed to keep tabs on Steve or anything like that but he would have rather liked going for a run with his super soldier; not that he would have been able to keep up but it would have been rather fun to try. The last he had known, Steve was in their tiny, shared room reading; Harry hadn’t even known that he had left the building. Usually Steve was so protective of him, and Harry didn’t understand why he wouldn’t have just gone without saying anything. 

It was seriously making Harry rethink how serious the two of them were. Steve had made him think that the two of them were going somewhere but maybe that had been him over thinking everything as he tended to do on occasion. Harry wanted this so badly that he wouldn’t have put it past himself to do just that. This thought was going round and round in his head and it was making him feel physically sick; he didn’t want to be left alone with this baby, he wasn’t sure that he would be able to cope. All his auror training had not prepared him for this. 

“You alright, Harry?” Neville asked, knowing his friend well enough to recognise when something wasn’t quite right with him. He watched as Harry took a seat across from him looking rather lost in his thoughts. “Harry?” Neville repeated when his friend failed to respond the first time or in fact the second or third time his name was spoken. 

“What, sorry?” Harry asked, blinking several times and shaking his head, feeling a little startled as Neville gave him a small kick under the table. Neville was looking at his friend with concern; it wasn’t often that Harry zoned out like that, clearly he had been deep in thought and that was rarely a good thing.

“I asked if you were okay,” Neville told him, frowning at his childhood friend. “Are you?” he asked, more than a little concerned about what had made Harry completely zone out like that, disappearing into his own thoughts. The last time Neville had seen him like this it had been in the middle of the Battle of Hogwarts and Harry had been trying to track down the lost Diadem of Ravenclaw. 

“Um, yeah, fine. I feel a little light headed, I’m going to lie down,” Harry said, lying a little. He didn’t feel bad at all, he was a little nauseous and he had the beginnings of a headache but he didn’t feel terrible; he just had the sudden, overwhelming urge to not be around anyone. He certainly didn’t want to eat anything right now, if he did then he was likely just to throw it all up again. 

“Want me to come with you?” Neville offered but Harry very quickly shook his head as he got up from the table. The last thing he wanted right now was company;he needed time to think things over because tomorrow was going to be a huge turning point in his life. Draco was going to be able to confirm one way or another for certain whether he was carrying Steve’s baby. From that he would have to decide where he went from there because he honestly had no clue what was going on between him and Steve. 

Harry was almost certain that he loved the super soldier. Of course he had never loved anyone before; he hadn’t ever found that he had a romantic connection with anyone as deep or as intense as the one he had with Steve. He certainly didn’t want for it to end but then he might not have a choice in the matter if Steve didn’t want to be a father. 

“No, I’m fine, honestly, I’ll see you all later,” Harry insisted, heading for the door. Only Neville was at all shocked by the sudden exit that Harry had had to make. Though even he was used to his friend acting in this manner from their days at school; though since his Auror training Harry had been a lot more together in the way he had acted so it was a little surprising to see him devolving like this. Neville, however, put it down to the fact that they were flying home tomorrow, and even he could admit that there was something about being here in the Triskelion with that knowledge, it was even rattling him a little. 

“Is he alright?” Tony asked as Neville watched Harry leave. He and Bruce had been lost in a rather intense conversation of their own and hadn’t been paying much attention. The others hadn’t been listening to the two scientists either seeing that none of them could understand what was being said between them; however, Tony had looked up just as Harry had made his swift exit and found himself to be a little concerned. 

“Yeah,” Neville said, a little absent-mindedly as he turned back to his meal, “I think he’ll be alright, he just has a lot on his mind right now.” 

“Yeah, I bet,” Clint said with a snort of amusement as he shovelled food into his mouth. He liked Harry, he really did, the two weeks they had spent in the safe house and the fact that the wizard had rescued him had made him fairly fond of Harry. He knew, however, that he had a lot on his plate right now; though Clint didn’t always approve of the way the wizard conducted himself regardless. 

“You know, don’t you,” Neville said, his eyes fixing on Clint with interest now. Hawkeye, at this statement, looked up and made eye contact with Neville, his gaze narrowing in suspicion. Everyone else was just looking at the pair of them as if they were quite mad. 

“He’s told me his suspicions,” Clint said cryptically. He didn’t want to actually say anything if Neville was just guessing that he knew something and was currently just fishing for information. He wasn’t stupid, he knew every trick in the book, most of them having been used against him during his time as a S.H.I.E.L.D agent. 

“Then I’ll guess we’ll see tomorrow then,” Neville said with a sigh and Clint nodded in agreement. There was a lot that they would see tomorrow it seemed. 

\--------x 

Harry wasn’t sure where he was going but the moment that he had left the canteen he hadn’t wanted to go back to his room. It was too small and would just be a reminder that Steve had left without saying anything and he was alone; he just needed to walk for a while, though he knew better than to leave the building when he was a target in Loki’s schemes. It wasn’t like the Triskelion wasn’t big enough. 

He followed his feet, switching off his mind and trusting his instincts to take him where he needed to go. It was why he was so surprised to find himself standing on the opposite side of the glass, staring into George’s cell, neither of them saying a word. Harry wasn’t sure how he had ended up there but he knew that this was the place he wanted to be, he needed something from George and he was going to get it. 

“Listen to me,” Harry said harshly. “You are going to listen to me.” 

“Yes, yes, of course,” George said, getting up from where he had been sat on his bed and approaching the glass, though doing so hesitantly. He had never seen Harry as angry as he was in this moment and that was saying something, considering he had seen the man kill Voldemort and fight of hundreds of Deatheaters. 

“You don’t speak unless I ask you to,” Harry snapped. “I ask you a question and you answer, got it?” George opened his mouth to say something but quickly snapped it shut again and nodded his head. Harry smiled glad that George had understood him; he really wasn’t in the mood to be messed around. “Who helped Loki escape from Asgard?” Harry demanded. 

“Harry…” George said, looking a little uncomfortable, Harry however looked as if he was about to explode with anger and George didn’t dare say anything further, not wanting to lose control and hurt him. 

“ANSWER THE QUESTION!” Harry raged; he wasn’t playing games. In truth he had never wanted to set eyes on George again, not after the admission that he had helped to kidnap Teddy. Now that Steve wasn’t with him there was no limit on what he could do, there were certain elements to himself that he never wanted Steve to see. He was capable of some terrible things, he had done a lot that he knew he should regret while he was hunting down all those dark wizards, but he didn’t regret them; though he wasn’t exactly proud of them either. He just did what needed to be done. 

“I don’t know,” George said, slowly backing away from the glass. This was not a side of Harry that he had ever had the misfortune of seeing. Only those that Harry had fought against as an Auror had ever seen him truly lose control like this and even then none of the dark wizards he had captured had ever come near his family. 

“Yes you do, you have to know something,” Harry said, his tone more venomous than any snake could ever hope to be. “If you don’t have anything to tell me then you’re useless, worthless, less than nothing!” 

“I don’t know what you want me to tell you,” George said desperately. He had backed up to the far wall of his cell now, getting himself as far away from Harry as he could possibly be and yet it still was not far enough away to escape the penetrating anger of his former friend’s gaze. It was almost enough to regret his actions but then, only almost; he would never truly regret any attempt to reunite himself with his twin. 

“Tell me who helped him!” Harry said, slamming his fist against the glass in anger. “Tell me anything that’s fucking useful!” He could feel that the fragile hold he had on his temper slipping through his fingers at an alarming rate, he knew that it might not end well for George, but he no longer cared. He wanted this information so that he could fight Loki and get Teddy back safely as soon as possible. No one came after his family and got away with it. 

“I don’t know, I don’t have any names,” George insisted with fear in his voice, “all he kept saying was that he owed Hydra. I don’t even know what it means but he kept saying it, that as soon as Hydra had what they wanted then he’d give me Fred back!” 

“You’re never going to get Fred back!” Harry snapped, more angry than ever at George’s delusion. Harry had had enough of making excuses for him; Fred was gone, and as much as Harry wished otherwise, he’d never be coming back. George just seemed unable to understand that concept. Harry had blamed grief and loss but it had been nine years now; he had lost people too, he hadn’t forgotten them but he had made room for the pain of that loss in his heart and used it to strengthen himself. 

“I will, I will, I’ll find a way…” George said, insistent on his delusion, regardless of what Harry said against it. He needed to believe that there was a way to get his twin back, there was no life without his brother. The loneliness and all encompassing pain of his loss had consumed him to the point that he felt as if he were already dead. 

“The only way you’re ever going to see Fred again is when you die,” Harry shouted through the glass, snarling at his former friend, unable to believe just how far he had fallen in the nine years since Fred’s death. It was hard to believe that once this man had been a legend in the halls of Hogwarts, a prankster who never stopped smiling, former owner of a world renowned joke shop. There was none of the person George had once been left, it was all gone; George was just as dead as Fred was. 

“Then kill me,” George said, stepping forward suddenly feeling rather brave, wanting for this to be the end. He would never be able to take his own life, he was too much of a coward to do it himself, but if Harry could kill him then it would be over. He could ask for no one better to be the one to take his life and reunite him with his brother. In that moment, as he approached the glass, he knew that this was what he wanted, this was the answer, he needed for Harry to kill him. 

Harry sneered at George, as the red-head came forward, falling to his knees in front of the glass, in front of Harry, looking up at him pleadingly, begging desperately to be killed. “You want me to take your life?” Harry asked, his anger the only thing that stopped him from being at all shocked or surprised by this request. 

“Yes,” George said in anguish, he needed this; he needed his life to be over. He had tried everything he could to get Fred back but he was now beginning to realise that it was never going to happen. He needed for Harry to do this for him, after having already done so much he needed just one more thing. 

“You would really ask me to take another life… to have yet another death on my hands and on my conscience?” Harry asked incredulously, unable to believe that George would ask that of him, particularly after all he had done against him, after siding with Loki. Harry could only imagine having to tell Molly and Arthur what he had done. It wasn’t something that he could do, though he was sorely tempted to kill George, he wanted to take that revenge on him. The hatred over what he had done to teddy was enough but he knew from bitter experience that there were so many worse things to experience than death. 

“Please, Harry,” George begged, leaning forward and pressing his hands against the glass, wishing he could reach through and take hold of Harry, plead with him in any way possible. He needed to make him understand just how much he needed this, how much he wanted to die. “I can’t do it anymore,” he said quietly. 

“You aren’t even worth killing,” Harry snarled at him viciously. “You’re nothing; kidnapping a nine year old boy who can’t defend himself, you’re a coward and death is just too good of an option for you.” At this point there were tears streaming down George’s face, knowing that Harry was right, he didn’t even deserve a quick and painless death after everything he had done, he deserved to suffer for what he had done. “Stay here and rot you fucking coward!” 

Turning on his heel, Harry left. He couldn’t stand to be there looking at George any longer. If he had stayed there for a moment more then he might have gone through with what had been asked of him and killed him then and there, the urge to do so overwhelmingly strong. It wouldn’t be a quick or a painless death either, he would torture him to the point that he begged for death and even then Harry wouldn’t kill him, he would heal him and start all over again. He didn’t want for George to die, it was just too easy a way out for him; Harry wanted the man to suffer for the fear and suffering that he had inflicted on Teddy. 

\-----------x 

“Where’s Harry?” Steve asked as he entered the canteen. After his run, which had done a great job at calming him down and even organising his thoughts a little, he had gone for a shower before then going to find the others. He hadn’t exactly fully wrapped his head around what he had heard; however, he knew that he needed to talk to Harry about it. They weren’t going to get through anything without talking to one another, he had known that from the start.

“He wasn’t feeling well so he went to lie down,” Neville said as he finished off his meal. He knew that there was more to it than that but he couldn’t exactly get into that with Steve now and certainly not in front of the others. 

“I’ll go and see if he’s alright,” Steve said with a frown. He was rather hungry after his run but Harry came first and he always would. If Harry truly hadn’t been feeling well then he wanted to make sure that he was okay, especially considering what he now knew. 

“I’m sure he’s fine,” Tony said in amusement, “he’ll survive long enough for you to sit and eat something,” he added. He found it all rather funny truth be told, the loyalty and dedication that Steve and Harry showed to one another was astounding, especially since they had been together for such a small amount of time. However, it did make him long for Pepper; he knew he had been neglecting her and he wanted to make it up to her, something he intended to do just as soon as he was able to. 

“I’ll eat later,” Steve said dismissively as he headed for the door. The other Avengers and Neville all watched him go, looking at him as if he were a little bit unstable. Then again, right now he was a little unstable and it was all because he had fallen completely in love with Harry. 

What Steve hadn’t told the others was that he knew Harry hadn’t gone to lie down at all, he had just come from their room and Harry hadn’t been there. Steve was more than a little concerned about where Harry had got to, thinking that maybe he had used a magical method of travelling and gone ahead of them to try and rescue Teddy on his own. It wasn’t like Harry hadn’t done it before. 

Deciding he wanted to rule out the obvious places first before panicking and thinking the worst, Steve went back to their bedroom first. Wherever Harry had been he might have gone back there now so he wanted to make sure. After ruling that out his next stop was the gym but that too was empty and at this point Steve was seriously starting to stress himself out as it was becoming more and more likely that Harry had gone. 

Running his hands through his hair in annoyance he went through anywhere that Harry could be, not wanting to believe that Harry had run off on his own again. Steve honestly thought that they were beyond that now, he thought that they trusted one another. It wasn’t until he slammed his fist into the punching bag in frustration that the thought struck him of where Harry might have gone. 

Setting off at a run, Steve headed straight for the holding cell where George was being contained, hoping that Harry wouldn’t do something stupid before he got there. The wizard had been so mad the last time they had spoken to their prisoner that Steve had had to drag Harry out of there rather forcefully; he just hoped that Harry hadn’t gone back to finish what he had started.

He finally found Harry curled up on the floor just a single corridor away from George’s holding cell, sobbing into his knees, hugging them close to chest. Steve felt utter relief at the fact that Harry was here and he hadn’t gone running off to London on his own. It had been truly terrifying Steve that Harry might have gone off on his own again. The super soldier sank down to the floor to sit beside his lover. Almost at once Harry leaned against the older man and allowed Steve to wrap his arms around him.

“Did you kill him?” Steve asked, fearing the worst as he held Harry close. He didn’t think that his lover was capable of it but it was a question that he had to ask. If Harry had taken a life out of malice then he was not the man that Steve believed him to be.

“No,” Harry said through his tears, shaking his head as best he could as he buried it into Steve’s chest, “he wanted me to but I couldn’t do it.”

“I’m glad you couldn’t,” Steve said as he rocked Harry in his arms, holding him close, “you wouldn’t be the man that I fell in love with if you had, it’s not who you are.”

“I killed Voldemort,” Harry stated simply, tears streaming down his cheeks, wondering if Steve just didn’t know him well enough to make the decision to be with him, regardless of whether he was pregnant or not. “I literally died and then came back to life just to make sure that I killed him.”

“And you carry that around with you every day,” Steve said softly. “You have never forgotten what you did, it has become a part of you now. You are a good man, there is so much heart inside of you and I love that about you.” 

“Will you make love to me?” Harry asked softly, looking up at Steve desperately and there was no way that Steve could resist the wide green eyes that were pleading with him. Without saying a word, Steve got to his feet with Harry in his arms, kissing him for all he was worth as he got to his feet. 

Steve wasn’t sure that sex was the best way to handle the situation, however, if this was what Harry needed then that would be what he would give him, but it would not be how it was the first few times; it would be slow and sweet because he needed to show Harry just how much he was loved. 

“Not the bedroom,” Harry said desperately as he started unbuttoning his lover’s shirt, “too small,” he added in between the feverish kisses they were sharing, “and too far.”

“Where?” Steve asked as he walked, not really knowing where they were going but knowing that he was growing hard already and wanted Harry as soon as possible and he didn’t even care where anymore. It went against who he was but Harry just did things to him, he seemed to lose his mind when he was around his younger lover. 

“There,” Harry said, pointing to a door; he had no idea what was behind it and at this point he didn’t care if it was a miniscule broom closet, he just needed to feel close to his lover, to feel connected again, to feel anything other than anger and fear. He had allowed his rage to control him when he had been speaking to George and right now he needed to remind himself that he was human and not some kind of animal because otherwise when they got to London a lot of people were going to die in his mission to get his Godson back. 

“The door,” Steve said as he tried to break the kisses that were coming fast and desperate as Harry attempted to remove the super soldier’s shirt from his shoulders, “locked,” he finished. However, he should have known better than to think that this would stop Harry. With a wave of his hand the door swung open, the keypad on the wall beside it beeping indignantly, but, with another wave of his hand, that was silenced. Neither of them thought more of it as they fell into the room, paying very little attention to the room itself. 

The two of them wasted very little time as they kissed their way across the large room, which appeared to be an office of some kind. They manouvered themselves towards the sizable desk near the huge floor to ceiling windows that gave them a spectacular view across the city, Harry still in Steve’s arms. Neither of them were truly paying much attention to their surroundings as they continued to kiss, their hands pawing at each other, removing clothes from their bodies, desperate for more. 

Harry moaned happily when Steve finally placed him down on top of the desk, not caring what was knocked to the floor in the process; neither of them cared that they had stumbled into someone’s office, they were far too needy for one another. Steve made a mental note to find out and apologise to whomever the office belonged to, as he pulled off Harry’s trousers. Harry was already removing his t-shirt, leaving him completely naked. 

Steve took a moment to appreciate the sight of his lover naked and pleading for him on the desk and threw out any thoughts of this being sweet and slow. It wasn’t what either of them needed in this moment, it was going to be intense and passionate and it wasn’t going to last long either. Both of them were hard and aching already, it had only been a matter of days since the last time but it felt like an age to them both. 

Reaching into his trouser pocket, Steve brought out a small tube of lubricant. He flushed scarlet at the questioning look that Harry gave him, feeling as if he needed to explain why he had some lube on his person, as if he had been planning this when he hadn’t. “Someone, I suspect Stark, left it in our room, I think as some kind of joke,” Steve rushed to explain, “I didn’t want someone finding it…” 

Harry couldn’t help but smile, stifling a small laugh, at how sweet Steve was, especially considering the entire of S.H.I.E.L.D probably knew they were fucking at this point and Steve had been concerned about someone finding their lube, it was adorable. Harry pulled his lover down into a long, sweet kiss, savouring it as they found friction against one another, Harry’s hips thrusting upwards so their erections rubbed together. 

“I need you,” Harry whispered as their kiss ended, a sense of urgency in his hushed tone. In response, Steve picked him up, off the desk, standing him on his own two feet, hands wandering across exposed skin as he ravished him in another kiss, perching his lover right on the edge of the desk as he started to move down Harry’s tanned and toned torso. Steve paid particular attention to the curves of each muscle here, thinking of the potential of their child being there. 

Going down on to his knees, Steve took Harry’s achingly hard erection into his mouth, teasingly at first, with only the tip just past his lips, tongue swirling around the head, savouring the taste of salty pre-cum that was leaking onto his tongue. Reaching up with one hand, Steve began to roll his lover’s balls gently between his fingers, getting off on the moan that erupted from his lover’s lips. 

It was a good thing Harry had the desk to lean on because he needed the support, his knees coming close to buckling as Steve used his mouth and hands to pleasure him. Harry’s knuckles were going pure white with the pressure of holding on to the edge of the desk and Steve was rather enjoying watching and listening to the sounds his lover was making. 

Before Harry could come, however, Steve withdrew, standing so that he was level with Harry and kissing him for all he was worth. “Turn around,” Steve whispered against his lover’s lips and wordlessly Harry nodded, stepping forward so that his body was pressed firmly against Steve as he very slowly did as he was told and turned away from him. 

Steve took a long, lingering moment to truly appreciate the soft curves and stunning physique; the thought that Harry might even be carrying their child, it was an even bigger turn on and he hadn’t even realised it until now. The urge to look after and protect Harry was overwhelming but first he wanted to feel him, to claim him completely. 

Squeezing some lube on to his index finger, Steve slowly teased his lover’s entrance, gently pushing inside before withdrawing. The long, pleasured moans from Harry were pushing him to the edge; with his free hand, Steve had to grip the base of his own erection to stop himself from coming too soon. 

“Please,” Harry begged as Steve pushed into him and then withdrew once again. It was driving him to distraction, he had bent himself over the desk and was using it as leverage to bear down upon Steve’s fingers. 

Pushing the single digit fully inside, Steve felt Harry clench around him before relaxing and allowing the large man to slide in and out easily. It was a matter of seconds before Harry was pleading for more and of course Steve obliged, adding a second finger, stretching out his lover. 

“You’re all mine,” Steve said, his voice gruff as he scissored his fingers apart, preparing his lover for what was to come. He wanted to make Harry aware of just how deeply committed he was to this, he wanted for Harry to be more than his lover, he wanted them to be together. 

“Yes,” Harry said, though his words were mindlessly spoken, too lost in his pleasured state to really know what he was saying. “Yours,” Harry agreed as he pushed down as much as possible, his forehead resting upon the desk as he fought a hard won battle to control himself. 

Steve added a third finger as a reward for the response Harry had given and delighted in hearing the younger man groan in appreciation and plead for yet more, which was something that Steve was perfectly willing to give him. He always loved how enthusiastic Harry was when they were together. He couldn’t imagine not having this with him now, as he pressed his own body forward, feeling close himself as he took in the sight of Harry bent over the desk.

It was surprising to Steve just how much this seemed to turn him on; being very sexually inexperienced before he had met Harry, Steve had never thought that he could ever become so sexually depraved as to have sex with someone in an office, where they had not locked the door behind them and anyone could walk in and see them. In their haste they had even forgotten to close the door completely, they had been too wrapped up in one another to care. 

“I’ll give you more,” Steve promised, as he stretched his lover. “I’ll give you everything,” he added, half convinced that he wasn’t even going to get his own clothes off fully off before he came, as Harry moaned, spreading his legs a little wider in an obvious invitation.

Withdrawing from Harry completely, Steve went to undo his trousers; Harry groaned at the loss of contact between them. Steve, reached down and brought Harry up so that the smaller man was pressed against his chest as he pushed his trousers down only far enough to reveal his large and throbbing erection, letting it rest on his lover’s arse for a moment as he kissed and nibbled at the nape of Harry’s neck. 

Slowly turning Harry around to face him, Steve kissed him, a drawn out and passionate kiss before pushing Harry back so that he was perched on the edge of the desk. The super soldier then coated his own cock with a generous amount of lube, wanting to make sure that he didn’t hurt Harry or their potential child. “Lie back,” Steve instructed firmly, “hands up, over your head.” 

Harry nodded, doing exactly as he was told, reaching up and over his head to hold on to the edge of the desk behind him. Steve could only imagine how beautiful his lover would look with his hands bound above his head, giving him full control as he eased a plug into his smaller lover’s arse. It was two things that he had really liked the idea of when he had been researching the best ways to please Harry and the thought of it alone was almost enough to make him come. 

Almost. 

Steve held the base of his cock firmly, stemming the flow of blood in an attempt to control himself a little longer. The look of ecstasy on Harry's face was not something that Steve could resist though. Keeping a firm grip on himself, Steve pushed himself inside of his lover. Harry’s back arched as the throbbing length was slowly pushed inside and he kept his hands firmly on the edge of the desk, above his head. 

“Please,” Harry begged, unable to take the control he needed in the position he was in. Even as he attempted to find some leverage by wrapping his legs around Steve’s waist, the super soldier had a firm hold on his hips and maintained the control, remaining fully seated and unmoving inside of his smaller lover. 

“So beautiful,” Steve praised, fully appreciating his lover more than ever, though his eyes kept darting to the perfectly flat and toned stomach, imagining what could be growing there. He loved Harry more now than he had ever thought possible, the idea of having a child together only making that stronger. 

“I’m yours,” Harry moaned, “all yours, but please, please, I need you.” Steve chuckled at how desperate Harry’s pleading was becoming, though this time he caved to his lover’s wishes and started to move. Steve kept a firm grip on Harry’s waist as he withdrew only to push back inside, rocking his hips into his lover. 

Steve was holding himself back, on the verge of coming and he could feel the tension in his lover’s body, as Harry chased his own orgasm. The smaller man was trying to push back against every thrust, seeking more, even as the super soldier pushed deep inside him. Steve could see the knuckles of Harry’s hands turning white with the grip he was keeping on the far edge of the desk, it clearly taking all his willpower to obey that instruction.

“Merlin, Steve, so fucking close,” Harry moaned out, his body writhing on the desk, as his lover pounded into him hard and fast. Every nerve ending felt like it was sparking at once, as the large erection pushing into his body pressed against the bundle of nerves inside him.

With very little warning Harry almost screamed, his orgasm hitting him and come splattering against their chests as Steve continued to thrust inside of the smaller man, groaning as he felt his lover constrict around him as he came. It was a feeling that moments later had Steve toppling over the edge, releasing his load inside of his boyfriend. 

Finally Harry released his grip on the desk, reaching up to grab hold of his lover and pull him down into a passionate kiss while he was still inside of him. Steve pushed his arms underneath the smaller man and lifted him up before their kiss could break, turning them around so that he was now leaning against the desk, rocking his hips so that his fading erection still pushed against the little bundle of nerves inside of his boyfriend. 

Harry wrapped his arms around Steve’s neck, continuing to kiss him feverishly, his legs still wrapped around his super soldier, Steve supporting Harry’s weight with ease. Both men were growing hard again already and neither were complaining at all, though Steve was hesitant not wanting to hurt Harry at all. 

“We should go to our room,” Steve suggested, thinking that remaining in this office was not the best of ideas. In his lust induced haze he vaguely remembered that there had been a lock and an alarm. He didn’t think that sticking around here was the best idea. Now, looking around it did look familiar, he had been in a few offices in the Triskelion and they had all looked fairly similar so he was hoping that it didn’t belong to any one of note. 

“If that involves you being apart from me, no,” Harry said, nuzzling into Steve’s neck, kissing and nibbling at the expose and sweat slicked skin. 

“I realise that the accommodation is limited here,” a voice said from the doorway causing Steve and Harry to freeze in horror, “but that does not mean you can expand into my office.” The voice was cold and unimpressed, making Steve cringe as he realised who it was without turning around. 

“Director Fury,” Steve said, pulling Harry in tighter to him to shield him from Nick a little, as he very slowly pulled out. It would have been a great plan if Harry hadn’t let out a low groan as Steve’s still half hard length left his body. 

“This is your office?” Harry asked, looking over Steve’s shoulder in amusement. “I really like your desk, it’s very… umm, sturdy.”

“Sturdiness was not what I was looking for when I bought it,” Fury said with a stern look on his face, clearly unimpressed with what had been going on in his office. He had been alerted almost straight away when the alarms had gone off but from the surveillance cameras, which had caught everything, he had known that it wasn’t exactly intruders, though they were rather unwelcome.

“How about large enough to lie on, because that’s certainly a plus,” Harry said with a smirk as he summoned his trousers to him, thinking it high time that he got dressed, though it hadn’t been in his plans to do so yet. Steve, meanwhile, pulled his trousers up, fastening them and using his large body to shield Harry from the Director’s unimpressed glare while he dressed.

“Indeed,” Fury said, his lips pursed together in a stern line. This was only doing more to prove the point that agents becoming involved with one another was not a great idea. He knew that Romanoff and Barton were close to doing the same but it wasn’t something he wanted to happen. The two of them made a great team and he didn’t want for anything to destroy that. If he could help it then it wouldn’t be happening. 

“We’re very sorry,” Steve said as he pulled on his shirt and Harry did the same. It was the younger man who was struggling not to laugh at the situation they had found themselves in; he thought it was hilarious that Steve, who was so sweet and innocent, had bent him over Director Fury’s desk. “We won’t let it happen again,” he said earnestly, sounding overly apologetic about the whole thing.

“See that it doesn’t,” Fury said sternly, watching as Harry pushed his feet into his shoes. This was behaviour that he certainly didn’t want to encourage and if it had been anyone else then they would have been severely reprimanded. As it was he would be speaking to Kingsley about how his staff behaved when left unsupervised. The way that Harry conducted himself in a different country while being outsourced to another agency was shocking. 

“We’re very sorry,” Steve said again, taking Harry by the hand and heading for the door. “Sorry,” he muttered once more, almost hanging his head in shame as he went past Fury and his stern gaze and out into the corridor so they could make their escape back to their room. 

Once out of earshot of Fury, Harry just couldn’t help himself and broke down into fits of giggles. He had gone from miserable, on the verge of killing someone, to sexually aroused to the point that he could have, and probably did, scream in pleasure and then to dissolving into hysterics. It got so bad that for the last couple minutes of the journey back to their room Steve had to stop and carry him the rest of the way. 

“It’s not funny, Harry,” Steve chastised, though he did so lightly. He too could almost see the funny side of the situation. He didn’t find it quite as hilarious as Harry did however, but then his lover seemed to have completely lost his mind. 

“Not only is it funny,” Harry said as he snuggled himself into Steve’s chest, rather enjoying being carried by him, “but knowing that you fucked me on Fury’s desk is so hot it’s making me hard again.” 

Steve could see that this was clearly not a lie; Harry’s erection was tenting the front of his trousers quite obviously and just the sight of his lover as turned on as this was enough to make him fully hard again too. “Don’t say that,” Steve said with a frown, not liking the way Harry had phrased it. 

“Say what?” Harry asked with confusion, thinking back on what he had said; he didn’t think that he had said anything out of turn, though he never could tell with Steve, they were still learning about one another every day, it wasn’t like they had known each other long. 

“That I fucked you,” Steve said as they reached the door to their tiny bedroom, his face screwing up in distaste at the word. To say that he fucked Harry implied that it was crude and vulgar like the word itself, he didn’t want to think of their time together in that way . “It’s more than that, Harry, at least I want it to be.” 

“I want it to be as well,” Harry said seriously as they finally stepped into their room and found the solitude that they needed. Steve kicked the door closed behind them and lay Harry down on the tiny single bed, knowing that they wouldn’t be having a very restful night’s sleep. Between the sex that they were likely to be having and the too small bed, neither of them were going to sleep well. 

“Do you mean that?” Steve asked as he went to undo Harry’s trousers and deal with the obvious problem that the younger man had there. Steve was determined, however, to find the balance they would need to get the intimacy even without the sex. He not only wanted Harry now but forever and he would do whatever it took to make that happen. 

“Yes,” Harry said, allowing Steve to undress him again as he pulled his t-shirt over his head. It was just a shame that they had had to get dressed again at all really, though neither of them really wanted to be walking the halls of the Triskelion stark naked. “Make love to me, show me how you feel about me,” Harry requested suddenly, looking Steve in the eyes, wanting him to be sure that he meant every word, “please.” 

“Are you sure?” Steve asked, “I don’t want to hurt you.” This was the last thing he wanted because hurting Harry meant hurting their baby, if it was there and, from what he had heard, Harry was fairly certain that it was. They had already had a rather vigorous round of sex and Steve wouldn’t have been in the least bit surprised if Harry needed a break. 

“No, I’m fine,” Harry reassured his lover, “I want to,” he added, going for the fastening of his lover’s trousers. “And, I’m already prepared, which is a huge bonus” he said with a smile as he kicked off his trousers, leaving him completely naked once more. 

“I just couldn’t live with myself if I hurt you or…” Steve said, cutting himself off before he said too much. He didn’t want to give away that he had been eavesdropping on the conversation that Harry had had with Clint and because of it now knew about the potential pregnancy, he wanted for Harry to tell him when he was ready to do so. 

“Or…?” Harry said, not being aroused enough to miss Steve’s almost slip up. By this point he had managed to remove both Steve’s trousers and shirt, meaning they were both completely nude and having such a serious conversation was not what Harry had thought might happened with them both in this state. 

“It doesn’t matter,” Steve said, leaning over Harry and capturing his lips in a searing kiss, hoping that he could distract his younger lover in that way. “I love you,” he added when the kiss broke and he positioned himself between Harry’s legs. 

“Or what?” Harry asked, placing a chaste kiss to his lover’s lips and shuffling up a little. Steve sighed, sitting back somewhat; he was still between Harry’s legs but he wasn’t on the verge of entering him anymore. Clearly Harry wanted an answer but it was something Steve couldn’t give him right now. Sitting up a little more, Harry reached up to cup his lover’s cheek, looking at him pleadingly, running his thumb across Steve’s cheek bone with affection. “What were you going to say?” Harry asked gently, wondering if Steve knew his secret, willing for Steve to tell him that he knew. 

“Please forget I said anything,” the super soldier requested, trying to distract his lover with kisses, turning his head to press his lips to the palm of Harry’s hand. Sitting back against the wall now, Steve pulled Harry on to his lap so that they would be better connected, both of them still hard as they touched and kissed, despite the serious conversation they seemed to be having. 

“But what did you mean?” Harry asked, his voice a little breathy, as he felt Steve’s hands trail down his back and take hold of his arse, positioning them so that Steve’s erection was between the younger man’s arse cheeks, wanting the friction of it as their hips rolled together. 

He was trying very hard not to get distracted but his own hard-on was throbbing and it was very difficult to keep himself focused on the questions he wanted an answer to when he could feel how much Steve wanted him. 

“I didn’t mean anything,” Steve said as he began to kiss his lover’s neck, nibbling at the exposed skin, tongue lapping up the salty droplets of sweat that were attempting to trickle down Harry’s skin. “I just want to show you how much I love you.” 

“Then love me,” Harry said, throwing his head back to expose his neck and allow Steve better access. The super soldier needed very little more in the way of an invitation than that, using his grip on his lover’s arse to lift Harry up slightly before he lined his cock up with his lover’s entrance. 

“If I hurt you…” Steve began to say but Harry shook his head, looking deep into Steve’s enchantingly blue eyes, his hands gripping the side of his head as he prepared himself for what was to come. 

“It’s not going to hurt,” Harry said gently, “at least nothing that I can’t handle, trust me.” He placed his lips against his lover’s in a long, slow, lingering kiss.

“I trust you,” Steve said as he slowly lowered Harry down, sliding himself slowly into his lover. Harry gasped, leaning his forehead against Steve’s, biting his lip at the burn as he was entered. He only had leftover lube and Steve’s come from the last round to ease the process but Harry had always loved this feeling. 

Harry’s breathing became rather ragged as Steve finally lowered him all the way down so that he was fully inside of his younger lover. Steve didn’t move, wanting to allow Harry the time to adjust, knowing that they probably should have used more lube, however they had realised too late that it had been left in Fury’s office. 

“Love, if it’s too much…” Steve said, reaching up to stroke at the dark raven hair.

“It is,” Harry gasped out, “but I like it.” He leaned forward, putting his arms around the larger man’s neck, fingers intertwining with soft, sweat slicked blonde hair as he kissed him gently. Very slowly, Harry began to rock his hips, desperate for movement, breaking the kiss and focusing his eyes so that he could look into Steve’s as they made love. 

Sweat trickled down their skin, nerve endings on fire for them both. Small moans escaping from their lips as they moved together, their foreheads connecting and eye contact never breaking. Steve brushed against the sweet spot inside of Harry time and time again, pushing the younger man closer to the edge. 

“I want you,” Steve whispered, his breath ghosting across Harry’s lips as he spoke, “always; I don’t want to ever let you go.”

“I’m yours,” Harry promised, his whole body trembling as he neared his completion. The words that he spoke were said in the heat of passion but they were the truth; he knew that he never wanted to be apart from Steve. He felt as if he loved him but he just couldn’t say the words, not yet. “I’m always yours,” he promised, his voice so soft that it was barely audible but Steve heard, drawing his boyfriend into a passionate kiss as a response. 

Those words from Harry were enough to make Steve’s heart soar, he held his lover in his arms and knew that there would be any more times like this ahead of them and then so much more after that as well. Together they had commitment, they had each other and hopefully, if Harry could confirm it to him soon, a little person that they had created as well. It was something that he had always wanted but never thought that he would achieve, just like Harry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? Please leave me your thoughts. Also don't forget to check out the youtube video that accompanies this story, made by BickyMonster.


	18. Healer Malfoy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group finally arrives in London and Harry goes to see Draco.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took a little while. Things have been manic and life has got in the way. I'm writing as quickly as possible right now and editing too. Chapters are going to be coming out though the updates might be a little slower than normal.

Before dawn had broken, the part of the Avengers team that was heading for London were awake, showered and dressed. Clint, Natasha, Thor, Harry, Steve and Neville had gathered in the canteen for breakfast, none of them really saying much as they were all rather tired still. Harry and Steve were especially exhausted; their little bed had not been large enough to accommodate both of them and it had meant that they had had a rather restless nights sleep, which had been interrupted further by the fact that they had had numerous rounds of sex. 

Their flight was due to leave in an hour, and the helicopter taking them to the private runway would depart from the roof of the Triskelion in just thirty minutes, but no one was rushing; they had time. Harry and Steve were sitting as close to one another as it was possible to be without actually sitting on top of one another, Harry picking at his meal with disinterest. His stomach was still a little sensitive and he didn’t really want to risk another vomiting session.

After their rather intense session of love making the night before, and both of them agreeing they wanted more than just sex from one another, it had been a remarkable step forward for them both. Steve couldn’t stop thinking about all of the different dates he wanted to take Harry on when this was all over, though he was determined that on their first official date they were going to go dancing. Harry, on the other hand, was just focusing on keeping his breakfast down; it wasn’t a remarkable breakfast, just toast and cereal but it was playing havoc with his stomach. 

With each spoonful that he put into his mouth, Harry fought the urge to spew his guts up. In the end he gave up the milk coated cereal and just picked up some dry toast, hoping that he would at least be able to keep that down. He would need breakfast if he was going to get through the day. It didn’t escape Steve’s attention what his boyfriend was doing and it concerned him a little that Harry was eating barely anything, though he let it slide for the moment; it wasn’t like he could say anything without giving away what he knew. 

“Potter,” a voice suddenly demanded from across the room. The suddenness of his name being called made Harry jump a little, abruptly startled out of his thoughts. Director Fury was the culprit, the large man striding purposefully towards them looking as solemn and fierce as usual. 

“Director Fury,” Harry said in acknowledgement as the man reached them, his one good eye sweeping over them all approvingly seeing as they all appeared to be ready to leave for London. Harry had dropped his half eaten toast back on his plate and had turned slightly so that he was facing Nick, not sure what the director wanted. 

“Kingsley has arranged an appointment with your healer for you half an hour after we land,” the Director said to the wizard, who nodded his head in thanks, grateful that the Minister had taken it upon himself to book his appointment. Draco was a busy man after all and it was likely that he had other patients to see today.

“What time will it be when we land?” Harry asked, knowing that there was going to be a serious time difference for them all. 

“All going well, five this evening, your appointment is at half past. Rogers cannot go with you, he will not be welcome in the magical hospital.” Fury had been told by his brother to make this perfectly clear to the young couple, who seemed to be somewhat inseparable. 

“Why?” Steve demanded; he wanted to be able to go with his boyfriend and find out if Harry was pregnant or not. He didn’t want to leave his younger lover’s side for a moment, not knowing what he did about the life Harry lead in England. The fans alone were a worry to the super soldier. 

“It’s a place of magic,” Harry said gently, not wanting Steve think that he wasn’t welcome there, it was more that they didn’t want to disrupt the care of the patients in St Mungo’s. If a muggle suddenly appeared in their midst, who knew what might happen. “Neville will come with me and I’ll be fine,” he said, trying to reassure his boyfriend. 

“Sure,” Neville agreed, more than happy to accompany his friend to St Mungo’s. It wasn’t a place that had a lot of happy memories for him but he might find the opportunity to visit his parents while he was there if he was lucky. 

“Oh, Director, I went to see George yesterday,” Harry said, keen to change the subject away from his appointment with Draco and impending pregnancy test. He really didn’t want to allow Steve to get anymore suspicious.

“I am aware,” Fury said, not entirely pleased about this either. The prisoner had been in quite a state after Harry had left him and had had to be subdued with tranquilisers just to calm him down. It had taken a lot before George had finally been unconscious. 

“He told me something; it didn’t mean very much to me but it might mean something to you,” Harry said, thinking that he needed to mention what George had said, before they left for London, because then Nick could potentially do something with the information. “He told me that Loki was being helped by Hydra. It could be nothing but I thought you should know.” 

“Hydra, you’re sure?” Steve asked as Fury’s face took on a even more serious expression. He remembered them from before he was frozen, fighting the Red Skull and losing Bucky. If Hydra was really involved in whatever Loki was doing then they were going to be in big trouble. 

“That’s what George said,” Harry told them, looking between the horrified faces of Fury and Steve, though the Director hid it a lot better than the super soldier did. Harry didn’t understand the implications of Hydra being involved with Loki but clearly it was not a good thing. 

“What is Hydra?” Thor demanded of them. If this was what was helping Loki then he needed to do his own research on how they had managed to remove Loki from Asgardian prison and free him to cause this chaos.

“A terrorist organization that was in legue with the Nazi’s during the second world war,” Fury said with a frown on his face, “one that died before S.H.I.E.L.D was founded.”

“When I killed Red Skull, Hydra died with him,” Steve said, thinking things over. Hydra was an old name and it was one that Steve didn’t think he would ever hear again. Fury too seemed to be confused by the mention of them. “They are gone, aren’t they?” he asked the director worriedly.

“I thought so,” Fury told him, a very pensive expression on his face. This was the first indication that he had ever had, in all his years with S.H.I.E.L.D., that Hydra hadn’t been completely destroyed. 

“Cut off one head, two more shall take its place,” Steve mumbled, looking concerned. He had never thought anything much of Hydra’s mantra, particularly since he thought they didn’t even exist any more, but now… he couldn’t help but wonder if there was more truth to it than he had believed.

“Steve?” Harry asked, watching the expression on his boyfriend’s face. “I didn’t mean to upset anyone, should I have not said anything?” Harry was worried that he had said the wrong thing or upset them by bringing up memories that were better off forgotten, whatever he had thought the reaction might be it wasn’t this. 

“No, you should have,” Steve said gently, not wanting Harry to think that he had done wrong. “I’m just not sure it can be them.” As far as he was concerned the terrorist organisation known as Hydra had died with Red Skull. He didn’t want to think that losing himself in the way that he had, had been for nothing. 

“It’s what George said,” Harry told them insistently. He didn’t care how much the others insisted that it couldn’t be true, this was what George had told him and Harry had no reason to disbelieve him. George might have been allied against them and he might have been desperate for his brother back but on some level Harry still believed him. 

“I will look into it,” Fury said, not wanting to see the young couple argue. “You all have a flight to catch,” he added formally, reminding them that it was time to go. He had a lot of work ahead of him if he was going to determine if what Harry said was true and he hoped for all their sake’s that it turned out to be false.

“I will not be going,” Thor announced. He had been listening intently to everything that was being said and now more than ever he knew that he had to return home. Loki might have been on earth, however, there was a bigger risk to his homeland and the longer he was away the bigger the threat became. 

To him it sounded as if Hydra had managed to infiltrate his world, which concerned him greatly considering it appeared to be an earth based alliance of men that should have nothing to do with Asgard. However, they had managed to free Loki from his Asgardian prison and he needed to be sure that the other more dangerous prisoners that they had contained there did not end up liberated from their cells also. 

“I thought you were going to help stop Loki!” Clint said a little angrily. He had been listening to what was being said; Hydra meant nothing to him, he had never heard them before but he could respect the fear it installed in two men he greatly respected. 

“He’s your brother,” Natasha said, glaring at Thor accusingly. If Thor really was going to abandon them now then she wanted to know why. 

“Hydra have no business on Asgard, if I am here I cannot protect my people,” Thor said, getting to his feet, having made the decision that he would be returning home. His family were there, his friends and until he figured out the traitor that had allied themselves with a criminal group on earth then he would not be satisfied. 

“But you swore to protect earth,” Clint raged, they were already down Banner and Stark, both for good reason but to lose Thor as well was devastating. Now it would be him, Natasha, Steve and Neville; Clint refused to count Harry in their numbers, not with him most likely pregnant. Once Steve found out, Harry would not be joining them in bringing Loki down. 

“I will return,” Thor said decisively, there was nothing that any of them could do or say that would change his mind on this and without another word he turned and headed for the exit, meaning to transport home as soon as he got outside. 

“And then there were five,” Neville said with a sigh. Fury was not looking too impressed with the situation, though he was resigned to the fact that Thor had every right to leave, after all he was here as a favour, he was not being paid and had no reason to remain behind. If his people were at risk then Thor would chose them without hesitation. It greatly concerned the Director that if these whisperings of Hydra being alive and well were true then they might have a serious problem on their hands, especially if Hydra were communicating with other worlds, aiding them even. 

“We should go,” Steve said, realising that they had very little time left before the helicopter was due to leave and they all still needed to grab their bags. With this said the five of them began to get up, Director Fury taking the lead in leaving the canteen. 

\-----------------------------x

Teddy Lupin was not stupid; he might have been scared, terrified even, but he wasn’t stupid. The second that the deatheater had come at him, meaning to hurt him in one way or another, Teddy had used his ability as a metamorphmagus and made himself look like the man about to attack him. 

This had thrown the deatheater enough that Teddy had escaped unharmed and ever since, whenever someone came into the room, the nine year old would make himself look like them so that they wouldn’t hurt him. Though in the times that he was alone, Teddy still liked to make himself look like Harry; it gave him the strength to wait it out and hope that his Godfather came to find him. 

Teddy had found his confidence a little every time the three deatheaters, who had been left in charge of him, were repulsed or unable to carry out their threats and now took every opportunity to listen in to what was going on outside of his prison cell. He was trying very hard not to giggle as the three deatheaters debated amongst themselves who was going to deal with him next. Apparently none of them wanted to be the one to try talking to him next. 

The three of them had clearly made a decision though, because the next moment Teddy heard footsteps coming towards him and he quickly scurried back onto his bed, cuddling his bear close, hoping to distance himself from whoever was going to come to try and hurt him next. 

“You won’t get away with this,” Teddy said confidently, glaring at the dark haired man who now stood before him. He might not have known this man’s name but Teddy recognised the Dark mark upon his arm and knew him to be a deatheater. 

“Watch me,” the man snarled coming closer to the nine year old, knowing what was coming next. Keeping his eyes focused on the man that wished him harm, Teddy began to morph his appearance, using the talent he had inherited from his long dead mother. 

As predicted the deatheater stalled his progress towards the nine year old, a little perturbed by the fact there was a double of him now curled up on the bed cuddling a stuffed bear. Teddy was rather proud of himself that he had been able to stop these men from hurting him with this very simple trick. 

“My Godfather is going to kick your arse,” Teddy said, making sure he looked this man in the eye as he said this. His grandmother would have been so ashamed to hear him use such language, however, he was feeling emboldened with his success and he felt it justified. 

The deatheater glared at the nine year old, withdrawing his wand and pointing it directly at Teddy. “Silencio,” Jugson said with a snarl. He might not have been able to stop the young boy from morphing into him but that didn’t mean that he couldn’t shut him up. 

Teddy glared hatefully at the deatheater; even if they were going to keep him from talking, he was going to try and be useful. Teddy had already gathered three names of the people holding him hostage so that when Harry did come for him they would be able to catch them; his Godfather was famous for catching Dark Wizards afterall. 

\------------------------x

The plane that Fury had arranged for the small group to take was a vast improvement on the monstrosity that Harry had travelled to America on. The seats were bigger on the private plane and far more luxurious, to such an extent that Harry was able to climb upon Steve’s lap and take a short nap there. His restless and interrupted nights sleep meant that Harry had fallen asleep quickly and easily. 

Harry had found that he was the most comfortable on his boyfriend’s lap, feeling secure with the super soldier’s arms around him. Steve was more than happy too, having Harry there where he knew his younger boyfriend was safe and couldn’t be harmed. Though it was a great struggle for Steve not to place a hand on Harry’s stomach and betray the fact that he knew the secret his boyfriend kept. 

“So where are we going while Harry sees this healer?” Clint asked, wanting them to have some kind of plan. He had just waited long enough for the wizard to fall asleep, knowing that Harry wouldn’t want to be left out of anything they were planning to do.

“Fury has arranged for us to meet with Kingsley,” Natasha informed them bluntly. The director had spoken to her briefly before leaving and informed her of this, she wasn’t sure why they needed to talk to him again but clearly the Director thought it important.

“Without Harry?” Neville asked, knowing exactly how Harry would feel about that. Teddy was his responsibility and the fact that he was missing didn’t bode well. Neville knew that Harry would want to play an active part in getting him back. 

“We need to get started,” Steve said quietly, not wanting to disturb his sleeping boyfriend. “Harry needs his appointment but his Godson has already been missing for two days, we can’t waste time.” 

“Why does he need this appointment so badly?” Natasha asked looking between the three men, to her it seemed as if they all knew something, they were all trying to hide it but she could see from the guilty looks on their faces. 

“He just does,” Neville said before anyone else could say anything. However, he didn’t miss the guilty look on Steve’s face and if he could have done then Neville would have taken the super soldier to one side to ask him why he was looking so guilty. As it was, with Harry asleep in his lap, there wasn’t anyway that Neville could have a private word with Steve. 

“I’m not sure I want Harry anywhere near Loki, considering…” Steve said, cutting himself short and having to check again that Harry was actually asleep. He had already almost slipped up with his boyfriend once before, he didn’t want to risk it happening again. 

“Considering what?” Natasha asked, looking between the three men who were awake. Neville in particular was looking at Steve calculatingly. 

“You know, don’t you,” Neville said, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. He wasn’t going to say it outright, not if Steve didn’t actually know. He wasn’t going to be the one to betray Harry’s secret. 

“I overheard a conversation,” Steve said gently, he really didn’t want to run the risk of Harry waking up and was being overly careful, monitoring for any change in his boyfriend’s breathing in case he was faking being asleep. 

“What conversation?” Natasha demanded getting increasingly more annoyed with each comment that she didn’t understand. She was looking accusingly between the three men, who all seemed to be speaking in some form of code, wanting to know what was going on. 

“The conversation that Harry had with Clint in the gym,” Steve said pointedly to Clint. He deliberately ignored Natasha, she clearly knew nothing and for the moment was fairly useless to him. He wanted answers and while Harry was asleep he was going to try and get them. It wasn’t like any of them could go anywhere, they were stuck here for the next six hours after all. 

“That is why you went for a run,” Clint stated and Steve nodded his confirmation of this fact. Clint was a little shocked that Steve was so calm about this; he had taken a while to process it all himself and he wasn’t the one about to be a father by another bloke. 

“And you’re okay with this?” Neville asked, still not spelling it out for them; he needed to figure out exactly how much Steve knew before he said anything. He had thought that the super soldier would at least be a little surprised but he actually seemed rather calm. 

Steve shrugged his shoulders gently so that he didn’t wake his boyfriend. “It’s Harry,” he said as a way of explaining himself. When he had overheard Harry and Clint talking he had been shocked, it was news that had been hard to comprehend but his explanation summarised how he felt about the whole situation. It was Harry and he would do anything for him. 

“What the hell is going on?” Natasha asked, almost shouting now. Steve glared at her as Harry stirred in his arms, disturbed by Natasha’s sudden shout. Black Widow did not look in the slightest bit apologetic however, wanting answers. 

“Go on then,” Neville encouraged, determined that it wouldn’t be him to say it and he didn’t want it to be Clint either, Steve had to be the one because Neville needed to hear him say it. 

“It’s not my secret to tell,” Steve said with a shrug, tightening his hold around Harry and placing a gentle kiss upon his forehead. Natasha didn’t need to know, at least not yet. Steve was sure that both Neville and Clint knew that Harry could be pregnant but he wasn’t about to voice that aloud.

\----------------x

Landing in London had been a wake up call for most of them. Aside from Harry and Neville, the other three were not used to the temperature change, it was several degrees cooler here and the others weren’t used to it. Steve had never set foot in England before today and Harry was keen to show him around, however first he had an appointment to keep. 

While Harry and Neville had gone to St Mungo’s, the other three had been taken to their meeting with Kingsley, not that Harry knew where they were going. Neville knew when to keep his mouth shut so as far as Harry knew the others were checking into their accommodation and they would all meet later. 

Neville had tried to convince Harry to take the Knight Bus to St. Mungos, but Harry insisted that they apparate, despite the risks, knowing that that would be quicker. He also feared that using something as public as the knight bus would attract unwanted attention and, if he was brutally honest with himself, he didn’t want to be away from Steve for any longer than he had to be. Harry had found it comforting to be in the super soldier’s arms and found himself rather anxious now that he was away from him. 

Draco, of course, was waiting for them when they arrived; it was in his contract with St Mungo’s that he was the personal healer of the saviour of the wizarding world, Harry Potter. It was a huge claim to fame for the hospital, as well as for Draco himself, which was why it was allowed. The youngest Malfoy didn’t even mind too much; he saw it as what it was, an honour that had been bestowed on him because he deserved it and had worked hard for it. 

“It’s good to see you,” Draco greeted as Harry and Neville reached the waiting room where the youngest Malfoy was waiting for them, “both of you,” he amended with a slight incline of his head in Neville’s direction. 

“You too,” Harry said with a small smile as Draco motioned for them to follow him. It was the usual routine that they followed; it was peculiar having Neville present. Sometimes Harry couldn’t even walk himself into the room where he was seen to but the casual greetings were all too familiar. They moved from the waiting room quickly, not wanting for anyone to try and eavesdrop into the conversation and then sell their story to the Daily Prophet; this wasn’t exactly paranoia, not seeing as it had happened before. 

“What can I do for you today?” Draco asked as he shut the three of them in the examination room. “You don’t appear to be in any ill health as far as I can see,” Draco said as the three of them each took a seat so that they could talk things over.

“I think you need to be honest,” Neville said gently to Harry after a moment of hesitation. Harry sighed, knowing that Neville was right; he needed to know either way, he couldn’t put it off any longer. It was now or never and Harry knew this. 

“Well this certainly is intriguing,” Draco said with slight amusement. He was looking between the two men that he knew from his school days, wondering what on earth could bring the two of them to his office. Harry liked to avoid coming in to be healed whenever it was possible, something that Draco constantly chastised him for. 

“I think I might be pregnant,” Harry blurted out rather suddenly. He had decided that if he was going to tell Draco then he needed to just do it instead of beating around the bush, he saw no use in sugar coating it at all. 

“I see,” Draco said with a sigh. “I suppose we should confirm it one way or another for you,” he said, getting to his feet. The other two did too, watching as with a wave of his wand, Draco transfigured a chair into a bed so that Harry could lie down. 

There was a certain atmosphere in the room as Harry did as he was instructed and lay down upon the bed, ready for Draco to do what needed to be done. Neville stood by his friend’s side, watching with baited breath as Harry rolled up his t-shirt. Neville trusted Draco because Harry did and he knew the history between the two of them had bonded them together. 

“Hmm,” Draco said after a few complicated waves of his wand. He did a couple more and said, “hmmm,” once again. However, both Harry and Neville glared at the healer when he wasn’t more forthcoming with information. 

“Are you going to put us out of our misery?” Neville asked somewhat impatiently. He wanted to know the answer just as much as Harry did, especially after the conversation he had had with the others on the plane. Neville knew that Steve would need to be told soon too. 

“I believe congratulations are in order for the two of you,” Draco said with a smile. He wasn’t sure what was going on between the two wizards, he hadn’t heard any rumours about the two of them dating, in fact the last he knew Harry was in America and dating someone out there. He wasn’t sure what he believed now or if anything he had read in the Prophet. 

“Oh, I’m not the father,” Neville said hastily, quick to want to correct Draco in his assumptions. He did find it slightly amusing; however, Harry was just gaping at the healer, not really knowing what to say. Harry could see the funny side of Draco assuming that Neville was the father of his baby, but it made him wonder just how far his reputation for being promiscuous had gone. 

“I apologise,” Draco said hastily, not wanting to cause offence. “Who is the lucky wizard?” He wanted to correct his mistake as quickly as possible; he knew that Harry was known for sleeping around but judging by the look on Harry’s face he was a little hurt. 

“He isn’t a wizard,” Harry said as he righted himself and sat up looking slightly abashed and feeling a little flustered as what he had thought to be true was confirmed. He had known, kind of, he had at least had a feeling that he was but to have it officially confirmed was a little bit of a shock to the system. He was having a baby. 

“He must be,” Draco said, looking a little confused, “muggles can’t impregnate wizards. Male pregnancies are rare as it is; it takes a unique combination of magic from both males to maintain it.” Draco had taken a course in this subject because as a personal healer it was required of him; even if Harry hadn’t decided to have children at all it was a necessity to become anyone’s personal healer, 

“He isn’t exactly a regular muggle,” Neville said with a sigh, thinking that as per usual the rules were not going to apply to Harry, they rarely ever did. For some reason, whenever Harry Potter was involved with anything, the regular rules just didn’t apply. 

“Care to explain?” Draco asked curiously. If he was going to see Harry through this pregnancy then he needed all of the information. If there was something odd about the father then it was likely that it was going to be passed on. 

“He’s… I don’t know what he is,” Harry said, trying to think of the best way to explain to Draco what Steve was because he might not have been a wizard but he was certainly no muggle. Steve was unique unto himself, there wasn’t really anyway to explain him. 

“A superhero,” Neville supplied somewhat unhelpfully, “he was part of the rumours that came over from the American wizards about the attack on New York.” The fact that aliens were attacking the earth had not escaped the attention of the Wizarding world. It was not their concern, however, and they had left well enough alone, at least the American Ministry for Magic had come to that conclusion. It had been over before any of the other Ministry’s around the world could get involved. 

“You mean the aliens?” Draco asked sceptically. News had reached the rest of the Wizarding population too late for them to make an opinion on what had happened and mostly no one knew if it was truth or myth. No one really knowing enough about the muggle world or what had happened to have a valid opinion on the matters of muggles and their wars, no matter who they were fighting against. 

“Steve was one of the people that stopped that attack,” Harry said, thinking that Draco would need to know this so that he didn’t think that his boyfriend had been part of the problem or even an alien himself. Harry was aware that he should explain the super serum but he honestly wasn’t sure how. 

“Well you were never one to live a boring life, Harry,” Draco said with slight amusement, “though whatever makes this man special, I need to know because if it’s in his DNA then it will affect your children.” 

“Children?” Harry asked, suddenly rather side tracked by the fact that Draco had referred to their being more than the one baby. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that; he had been prepared for one baby, expected it even, but more than one and he was starting to have a little bit of a panic. 

“Yes, children,” Draco said with a small smile. “I can tell from the test I just carried out that you’re carrying twins. You appear to be a month gone already,” Draco explained. He was a little surprised to see the look of shock and disbelief on Harry’s face. 

“That’s impossible, you must have got that wrong,” Harry said with certainty. There wasn’t any possible chance that he was a month along in his pregnancy. The first time that they had slept together was three weeks ago give or take a day, it was impossible.. 

“I assure you, I did not get it wrong,” Draco said with a frown, confused as Harry challenged him. “You have trusted me as your healer for seven years now, I’ve never once got your diagnosis wrong,” Draco said stiffly. He wasn’t pleased that Harry was questioning him, he felt a little affronted by it. 

“Sorry,” Harry said quickly, “I don’t mean to doubt you but I can’t be a month gone, I only slept with him for the first time three weeks ago!” Harry insisted. It had not been his intention to offend Draco but he knew that it just couldn’t be possible. 

“Then it’s likely he isn’t the father,” Draco said with a frown. He loathed to bring up the many conquests that Harry had claimed in his lifetime but Draco was sure that Harry was a month along in his pregnancy and therefore it seemed impossible that Steve could be the father. 

“I haven’t bottomed to anyone else in over a year, he’s the father,” Harry insisted. It really was impossible for anyone other than Steve to be the father. 

“Harry,” Neville said gently, not wanting for Harry to get upset. “Can you be sure? I mean, you did tend to drink a lot.” It was no secret the way that Harry behaved and Neville couldn’t help but ask and he thought it better coming from him than from Draco. 

“Yes, I did,” Harry said firmly, glaring at Neville, “but not that much,” he added pointedly, “I always knew what I was doing, I topped every time and I used protection, I wasn’t stupid.” Harry was insistent on this point, he had always been so cautious and he had never felt comfortable allowing anyone to top him. 

“But you applied neither precaution in this case,” Draco queried, curious as to how Harry had ended up in this situation when he had avoided it up until this point and clearly quite determinedly too. 

“No but I wasn’t drunk either,” Harry insisted, wanting to point out that what he had done with Steve had been done with a clear head and wanting it entirely. It had been a little spur of the moment to begin with but since their first time it had been exactly what he wanted and all that he could think about. 

“If you are sure then I really need to examine this man; whatever makes him capable of impregnating a wizard, despite not being one himself, could be affecting the growth of your children,” Draco said with a sigh. Harry had no real reason to lie to him about such things, Harry knew that whatever was said within this room would stay here, they had a binding contract after all. 

“I am sure,” Harry said with certainty. “If it helps you, he was injected with something the muggles developed and called a super serum. It effectively turned him into a super soldier. The before and after photographs are rather impressive but I will find a way to get you to examine him.” 

“Yes,” Draco agreed, mulling it over, “he would not be permitted here.” He knew that a muggle wouldn’t be permitted within the hospital, not without a very special reason. Draco suspected that the first time Steve stepped foot into St Mungo’s would be when Harry went into labour and even then it would only be allowed because he was Harry Potter.

“What about this evening?” Neville asked, an idea springing to mind. He was aware that Kingsley had been using the Aurors to track Teddy, using the trace that was still on the young boy to locate him. It had taken a long while but those keeping him captive had finally slipped up and used magic in close enough proximity that they had been able to get an exact location for the boy. 

Neville knew that Kingsley didn’t want Harry being part of the rescue mission and this seemed like the perfect excuse. It would also give Steve and Harry a prime opportunity to talk about the two little bundles of joy that Harry seemed to be carrying. Kingsley had sent him an owl for when they landed, to explain what was going on; it had been a job to hide it from Harry, but he had managed it.

“What about this evening?” Harry questioned , looking at Neville as if he were up to something, which was course he was, though Harry was not to know that of course. He wasn’t sure what it was that Neville was planning but he was sure there was something that he was missing. 

“You can talk to Steve this evening and tell him about the babies then Draco can come and examine him,” Neville said and Draco nodded his agreement to this. 

“The sooner I examine this man the better,” Draco said matter of factly, “if you are certain that he is the father then those children are growing at an alarming rate. A normal pregnancy will be for ten months, and this is no different for a male pregnancy, though most do not go to term as the male body is ill equipped to deal with the strain. However, with your pregnancy progressing as it is, it is likely that the pregnancy will be considerably shorter, even more so when you factor in that they are twins, which as a general rule are born early.” 

“If they grow fast in the womb… won’t that mean they’ll grow up faster?” Harry asked, a little concerned for his children, he didn’t want to see them grow up too fast; the thought of them growing at a faster rate than normal was terrifying to him. 

“I cannot answer that,” Draco said with a sad sigh. “It is of course possible but, as I say, until I examine the father, and determine the muggle medicine used to enhance him into this super soldier, then I cannot be sure of anything.” 

“But what about Teddy?” Harry asked in a panic. “I can’t just leave him to his fate while I’m talking with Steve…” Harry went to protest, not liking the idea that he would be sitting around doing nothing while his young Godson was being held captive somewhere. 

“Teddy?” Draco questioned. “As in our Teddy?” 

“Yes,” Harry said sadly, “he’s been kidnapped, by a man we’re hunting, to be used as leverage against me,” he explained, thinking that as Teddy’s cousin Draco deserved to know what was going on. 

“We’re working on it,” Neville said calmly, picking his words very carefully, not wanting to give the game away. All going well then Steve would be able to occupy Harry this evening while the others along with a few trained Aurors would be able to go in and extract the nine year old with minimal casualties. “Kingsley has been using the trace to try and locate him, the second any magic is used around him we’ll know where he is. Until then it’s a waiting game.” 

Neville knew that he was flat out lying here, they already had the location and once the others had been briefed on the plan of action then it would all fall into place and the mission to retrieve Teddy would start. 

“I want to do something, hell I’ll go out there and actually look for him if I have to!” Harry said with determination. It felt so wrong to him to simply sit and wait, it put him on edge, he didn’t like doing nothing. It made him rather tense. 

“Harry…” Draco sighed, “you’re going to have to realise that you’re pregnant eventually and you can’t put yourself at risk. Your boyfriend is, in Neville’s own words, a superhero, though I’m not too sure what that means. Perhaps you should take a back seat and allow this man to take a more dominant role while you take care of yourself.”

“But this is Teddy!” Harry said defiantly; he didn’t understand how they could ask him to take a back seat when it was Teddy that was the one in trouble. Draco especially should have understood seeing as he was the young boy’s cousin and had seemingly taken a great deal of interest in his life over the last nine years.

“I care for Teddy a great deal,” Draco said with a sigh, “but Neville has said that the Minister himself and all the Aurors that he has at his disposal are looking for him. Those are people that you have helped to train yourself, Harry. You need to take care of yourself now too, I am telling you this as your healer and I beg you to slow down and take yourself out of the field.” 

“You’re asking me to give up who I am,” Harry said with a sigh, his hand coming to rest on his stomach, thinking of the lives that grew within. He knew that they would be worth it and eventually things in his life would have to change but he wasn’t sure if he could change them until he knew that the people that he loved were safe. 

“You don’t have to be that person,” Neville said with a long sigh, he had always known that it would come down to this in the end. Harry was too set in his ways to change willingly. “You haven’t had to the saviour of the wizarding world since you were eighteen years old, it was your choice to continue down that path. No one that matters would blame you for choosing a simpler life.” 

“And what if people die because of that?” Harry asked, looking between the other two men; he trusted them explicitly, he knew that they would not sugar coat anything, he could rely on them to deliver the truth to him regardless of his feelings on the matter in hand. 

“You can’t save everyone, Harry,” Neville said with a sad expression on his face, “no matter how much you might want to.” 

“I will come and see you tonight. I think perhaps the father of these children should be privy to such a conversation. Are you at your usual residence?” Draco asked curiously, thinking that it was time to cut this meeting short; as much as he respected Harry and valued the conversations they had, he did have other patients to see and other work to do. 

“No,” Harry said sadly, not know what state his flat would be in seeing as when he had left it to go to America it had been broken into. He fully expected for the place to be destroyed and the only time he would be going back there would be to collect his belongings that had been hidden away by various charms and enchantments. “I’ll owl you the address of where we’ll be.” 

\------------------------x 

Having just finished their meeting with Kingsley, Clint, Natasha and Steve were all feeling a little overwhelmed with information. The Minister for Magic had explained to them how they had located Teddy. They still weren’t exactly clear on how it worked and they were all rather glad that neither Tony nor Bruce had been present. The two scientists would have had far too many questions and they never would have got out of the meeting. 

What all three of them were sure of was that this evening Steve would distract Harry and the others, along with a group of trained Aurors, would go and extract Teddy. Steve still wasn’t sure what he was going to say to convince Harry to remain behind, but he didn’t want to suggest a date because he didn’t want their first official date to be something they did to keep Harry occupied. 

The meeting had been held in their new accommodation, a large four bedroom house that had been referred to as a safe house. Clint had been unconvinced of this considering how large it was and how obvious but Kingsley had assured them all that magic could do a great deal many things and protecting a house, cloaking it from view, was just one of them. 

Kingsley had left the house soon after the meeting had ended, leaving the three avengers alone in the small dining room to talk things over. They had made arrangements for Natasha and Clint to make their excuses to leave. They would meet the Aurors and Neville before travelling to the location where they knew Teddy to be. 

“Harry’s probably not going to be easily distracted from trying to find Teddy,” Clint pointed out. Harry seemed rather over protective of the young boy and Steve knew that his boyfriend felt a little guilty over the fact that he was involved in this battle. 

“I know,” Steve said with a frown; like Kingsley, he was determined to keep Harry out of this particular fight, given all that he knew. He was even hopeful that Harry might talk to him before then given that he was seeing his healer at the moment. “I will work something out,” he assured them.

“They’ll be back soon,” Clint said, glancing at the clock on the wall. By his calculations Harry’s appointment had probably finished about an hour ago and Neville knew better than to go wandering off or doing anything stupid.

“I still want to know what’s going on,” Natasja said firmly; the mystery had not been solved on the plane and she hadn’t been able to get any one of them to tell her what was happening. She tried not to show it but she was a little pissed off about it. 

“Harry needs to be the one,” Steve said firmly, he didn’t want to voice the suspicions just in case they weren’t true. He wanted so badly for Harry to be pregnant, for them to be a family, he had become used to the concept and now he had grown attached to the idea. 

“They’re back,” Clint said as he heard the front door open and close. They could hear Neville and Harry talking between themselves and from their tone of voices they appeared to be in good moods. “I hope you have a plan,” Clint said in a hushed whisper. 

“I think I do,” Steve said with a nod as he got to his feet and headed out into the hall to greet his boyfriend. They had only been apart for a matter of hours but it was always difficult for them to be apart from one another. 

“Hey, Cap,” Harry said with a smile as he saw Steve leaning against the doorframe watching the two of them. Instantly he went forward and placed a sweet kiss to his boyfriend's lips, happy to be reunited with his lover. 

“I’ll leave you two alone,” Neville said with a smile, ducking around the large body of the super soldier and went to find the others, who were still sat at the dining table. 

“Was your healer able to tell you what’s wrong?” Steve asked, one hand reaching up and caressing Harry’s cheek lovingly. He hoped that Harry would be able to tell him the truth now, he knew that it was going to be difficult but he wanted to hear the truth. 

“Yes…” Harry said, smiling up at his lover, knowing that it was now or never to tell him the truth because tonight Draco would be there to examine him and find out what was going on with his two children.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please don't forget to take a moment to leave a comment and let me know what you think.


	19. Rescued

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Teddy is rescued but at a price...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Birthday Anthony!! Hope you have a great day when it finally arrives. Please enjoy the chapter as much as you can and remember that if you hurt me for what I've done with this chapter then I probably will never finish the story... I'm hoping that will keep me alive....

The Affliction of War

Chapter Nineteen

“And…” Steve encouraged, wanting to know for certain one way or another. Harry however seemed to be taking an almost sadistic pleasure in making him wait for the news. “Is it serious?” he asked, wanting to make Harry think that he knew nothing. 

“I’d say that it’s pretty life changing,” Harry said rather coyly. He was somewhat enjoying teasing his boyfriend. He did want to tell him, he thought that it was high time that Steve knew that he was going to be a Daddy but that didn’t mean that Harry wasn’t going to enjoy teasing him first. “Maybe we can go somewhere more private?” he suggested. 

Steve sighed, not enjoying the teasing one bit and he was more than aware that this was what Harry was doing. “Please,” he pleaded with his lover, needing to know what was doing on, “tell me; I’m going out of my mind with worry here.” 

“Well,” Harry begun, thinking that he would have prefered to tell Steve in a slightly more intimate setting, such as the bedroom, where they were not likely to be overheard, but he knew that Steve wasn’t going to fall for any excuse to delay being told. “You know that I’m not exactly normal, that as a wizard, certain things work differently.” 

“I’m not sure I like where this is going,” Steve said with a frown. Of course Harry had no idea that the super soldier already knew just how unique he was or that certain things that shouldn’t have been possible in a man were possible with Harry because he was a magical being and a fairly special one at that. 

“I know this might be a little bit of a shock to you,” Harry said, clearly seeing that Steve was getting a rather frustrated with how much he was procrastinating telling him what was wrong. Harry was, however, sort of enjoying watching his boyfriend get a little worked up; Steve looked so cute when he was worrying like this. 

“Please, just tell me, Harry,” Steve begged, needing to just hear it one way or another and he really hoped that the sickness Harry was experiencing was what they had all assumed that it was. If it was something else, something serious then he wasn’t sure how he was going to cope; he had only just found Harry, he didn’t want to lose him now. 

“I’m pregnant,” Harry said, watching Steve carefully for his reaction, he spoke slowly and softly so that the older man would be able to process the information, “with twins,” he added when Steve didn’t appear to be panicking at all. 

Steve stopped everything, he didn’t move, he barely even took breath, he just stood staring at Harry in utter shock at what he had just heard. He had overheard Clint and Harry talking and he had suspected that his boyfriend was pregnant, this wasn’t so much of a shock to him, but there hadn’t been mention of twins at all, it was this that had taken him by surprise. He gaped at Harry unable to entirely process anything that was going on around him; if Loki had attacked in that moment he would have been powerless to do anything to stop him. 

“I know this is a surprise,” Harry said gently, hating the shocked expression on his boyfriend’s face, “please say something, anything,” he pleaded. Steve, however, didn’t put anything into words, instead, regaining some of his brain function, he stepped forward, wrapped his arms around Harry’s waist, pulling the smaller man into him and kissing him for all he was worth, one hand reaching around to the back of Harry’s head to pull him ever closer and deepen the kiss. 

Harry was momentarily shocked by this, not having expected it, but after a moment or two he circled his arms around Steve’s neck and melted into him, kissing him back feverishly. The hold around Harry’s waist tightened as the younger man was lifted off his feet, his mouth utterly ravished. 

“Bedroom,” Steve gasped out between kisses. He was so happy; Harry had finally told him what was going on and it was exactly what he had hoped it might be after overhearing Harry and Clint in the gym. It was even better than he had ever imagined, it was twins, and now he wanted to celebrate by showing Harry just how much he meant to him.

“We can’t,” Harry said as Steve started to nibble his way down Harry’s jaw. The younger man had had to close his eyes as the sensations of pleasure washed over him. He didn’t want to deny Steve this but he knew that they couldn’t go and lose themselves to each other, there was too much else going on and he had questions to ask that were completely separate from his pregnancy. 

“Why not?” Steve asked, stopping his assault on Harry’s neck, pulling away slightly so that he could look at his boyfriend; however, his grip around the younger man’s waist didn’t lessen at all. Steve was rather determined to keep Harry close to him. Now that the pregnancy was confirmed he wasn’t going to be letting his boyfriend out of sight, not even for a moment. 

“My healer is coming,” Harry explained with a small, apologetic smile. He too had not relented his grip around the super soldier’s neck; Harry couldn’t stand to lose the contact between the two of them either. 

“Why, is there something wrong with the babies?” Steve asked with sudden panic, looking concerned. Harry had already had an appointment with his healer earlier this evening, Steve couldn’t think why he would need to be seen again so soon afterwards unless there was something wrong. 

“Not exactly,” Harry said with a sigh. “The twins are slightly further along than Draco expected them to be. Neville and I explained about the super serum, so, he wants to.. umm, examine you.” Harry flushed a little red with this admission, trying not to look Steve directly in the eye, something that was rather tricky considering how close the two of them were to one another. 

“I’ve had quite enough of doctors examining me,” Steve said with a frown. He had truly had enough of people poking and prodding him to last a lifetime, at least in the medical sense. Harry could do it to him whenever he liked, however, there was nothing worse in Steve’s mind than doctors running their unnecessary tests. 

“Draco isn’t a doctor, he’s a healer, a magical one at that,” Harry pointed out. “And he wants to examine you because it shouldn’t have been possible for you to get me pregnant at all, let alone for the babies to grow so quickly. He needs to be able to determine what might happen to the children seeing as they have your super genes.” 

“And you trust this man?” Steve asked dubiously. Though it did seem to be a rather pointless question to ask; it was clear that Harry trusted this man and it was about their children after all. There was very little that Steve wouldn’t do for Harry or their children now that he knew they were going to exist. If that meant having this healer examine him and ask a long ream of questions about the super serum then that was what he was going to have to suffer through. 

“He’s been treating me as my personal healer for the last six years, I’ve known him since we were eleven years old,” Harry explained gently. “We didn’t always like each other but during the war he showed me that he is a good man. I trust him to take care of me and our children.”

“Alright,” Steve said with defeat, realising that there could be no higher praise from Harry, “I don’t mind if he examines me but I want you there with me.” Steve despised doctors, but if this was what Harry wanted and it would benefit his children then he would agree. Harry nodded his head in agreement to his boyfriend’s condition; he hadn’t been planning on being anywhere else while Draco was there. “So he is coming here? This evening?” Steve asked a little hopefully, thinking this would be a perfect distraction and wondering if he had Neville to thank for that. 

“Yeah,” Harry confirmed. “Unless Kingsley was able to tell you anything about Teddy?” he asked suddenly; he had assumed that Steve would have told him straight away if there was new information, but he needed to let Draco know as soon as possible if he was going to have to cancel so that they could go after the nine year old.

“Your healer can come see me this evening,” Steve confirmed, his words carefully chosen so as not to actually lie. He knew how badly Harry wanted to go after his godson, but he couldn’t let that happen now that he knew his boyfriend was carrying their two children, not that he would have let it happen anyway, Harry was just too close.There was no guarantee that he could keep a calm and level head. 

“So there isn’t any news?” Harry asked sadly, thinking that their time was running out where the nine year old was concerned. Harry was seriously considering fetching the damned sphere from the Ministry and handing it over to Loki in exchange for Teddy’s safe return. 

“None yet,” Steve lied; he hated to lie to Harry but it was for his own good, for the sake of their children that were growing in his boyfriend’s belly. The idea of having a family, the two of them together with their children, it was an enchanting thought to Steve. He never thought that it would happen for him, and the fact that it had made him want to protect it with every ounce of his strength. 

“I know what Kingsley is like,” Harry said with a sigh, “he won’t want me involved in much if he can help it. I know I shouldn’t be either but until Teddy is back here I want to be involved; he’s my Godson and the only other person that he had died when he was captured. I’m all he has now.” 

“I understand that,” Steve said, wanting to assure his boyfriend of this, “whatever happens we will take care of him, I can promise you that.” He could see clearly just how much the young boy meant to Harry and if assuring him a home was what it took to keep Harry calm then Steve would do it. 

“Thank you,” Harry said, not even realising that Steve had not promised to keep him in the loop at all. He was still rather taken with the fact that Steve had said that Teddy could have a home with them. The thought was rather intriguing, to be with Steve, their twins and Teddy. 

“Least now I know what the hell everyone is talking about,” Natasha said unhappily from the doorway of the living room where she was standing with Clint, who was looking a little relieved that Harry had finally divulged his secret. 

\-------------------x 

Neville was another person who hated lying to Harry but was being force to do just that. With Draco on his way to the house, he had said that he would take Natasha and Clint to see some of the sights of London, also adding that he would try to keep them out late so once Draco was gone Harry and Steve could have some alone time to celebrate their happy news in whatever way they deemed fit. 

Harry had smiled at the thought of this, falling for it hook line and sinker and not thinking that there was anything unusual about what was going on. He was actually rather glad that Clint and Natasha wouldn’t be around when Draco arrived, it took some of the complication out of the explanation this way at least. They might have both known that he was pregnant but that didn’t mean he wanted them around for when Draco was there. 

Neville only wished that they really had gone to see some of the sights, it would have been a lot more pleasant if they had rather than what they were planning to do with their evening, though it would be a lot more productive. With Teddy’s location now known to them they had the upperhand and to keep it they needed to move quickly. 

Neville, Clint, Natasha along with three other Auror’s that Kingsley had hand selected himself to help with the mission were gearing up for the fight to get the nine year old back. They had all volunteered for the mission and knew the risks that came with it. Every single person knew they might not make it back but they were willing to go. 

Both Natasha and Clint were in awe of the bravery and the heroism that Harry clearly inspired in these men. All of them willing to lay down their lives to give something back to the man that had given his life, literally, to give them freedom. Though they did find it highly amusing to hear the tale of how Clint’s hair had been turned blue and why he now had to keep it that way. 

\----------------------------------X

“Well,” Draco said once he had finished examining the super soldier, “I have a few theories about what’s going on, though it is all theories at this point,” he added. Even after the reading material Kingsley had managed to get for him on Steve and the serum that he had been injected with, he could hardly call himself an expert. 

He could give educated guesses about what was going on but he couldn’t offer solid proof or evidence that what he told the couple was factual and he wanted to make sure that they knew that. As far as Draco knew this hadn’t happened before, Steve was the first of his kind and, as usual, what was happening to Harry was unique and completely unheard of. 

“There isn’t anything wrong with the babies is there?” Harry asked with concern, his eyes on his boyfriend who was pulling his shirt back on. He watched with a keen eye as Steve did up each button of his shirt, only looking away once the super soldier was fully clothed again. 

“No, as far as I can tell they are in perfect health,” Draco assured him. “And your boyfriend is the perfect specimen of a man as the serum intended him to be. Though this is all new to me, I have been studying it at length this evening, as the Minister for Magic was able to supply a lot of information on the subject,” Draco explained. 

“Did you figure out why they are further along than they should be?” Harry asked curiously as Steve came to sit beside him on the sofa. With everyone else out, the three of them had made use of the sitting room, thinking that the bedroom was just too intimate a place for something like this. 

“Nothing I tell you is fact, Harry, it is all educated guess work but I can give you my theory as to why,” Draco said with a sigh as he took a seat in one of the armchairs across from the happy couple. Harry nodded to show that he understood, reaching out so that he could hold Steve’s hand within his own, needing the support. “The serum seems to have altered Mr Rodger’s genetic structure, taking him from what he was and making him the perfect man, the perfect soldier.” 

“That was the idea,” Steve said with a nod of his head, “the problem was that it didn’t just alter the body, it altered the mind and the personality of the person injected with it too, certain traits were amplified. I have been told that my loyalty, my ability to love and a few other things have been amplified to a non human level.” 

“Whereas an evil man would just become more evil and deranged,” Harry said softly and Steve nodded, remembering Red Skull and how he had become after the super serum had gone terribly wrong in him. 

“In these two children it seems that the serum has accelerated their growth to get them to the point where the pregnancy is strong enough not to risk miscarriage,” Draco said, really hoping that the couple had listened to him when he had told them that this was all educated guesses than fact. 

“So they won’t grow this fast forever?” Harry asked, praying that this was the case. He was already a month further along than he should have been, it would have been heart breaking if his two beautiful children would grow up and lose their childhood too quickly. It was something that was already likely to happen with him as their mother.

“It is doubtful, though it wouldn’t surprise me if they are more advanced for their age considering,” Draco said with a smile, “if anything it is making them stronger and it’s unlikely that you’ll carry them to term, though that is true with most cases of twins.” 

“So I can just carry on, do things that I would normally do for the moment?” Harry asked hopefully, thinking that if Draco could agree to this then Steve would worry less. The super soldier was already clinging on to his hand rather tightly, not wanting to let go of him as he sat and listened to what was being said. 

“Normally I would say that that is fine until you start to show considerably; however, I know you, Harry, I know that what you would normally do, no one should be doing on a day to day basis, let alone an expectant mother,” Draco said sternly. “Just because these children are stronger than your average pregnancy doesn’t mean you can go off fighting Dark Wizards. It’s time you took a break.” 

“You sound like Kingsley,” Harry said with a sigh, resigning himself to the fact that now Steve had heard Draco say this that there was going to be no convincing him otherwise. Harry was determined though, he would make sure that he got Teddy back and then he would think of himself and his unborn children; he wouldn’t abandon his Godson though, no matter how much Steve protested on the matter. 

“Kingsley is right,” Draco said with a smile. “You have confided in me a lot since I became your healer, Harry, I know how much you want this and even how much you need this; allow this gentleman to take care of you, he is clearly up for the task.” 

Steve couldn’t help but smile at that as Harry leaned against him, resting his head on his shoulder, knowing that Draco was right in that regard. “Is there anything else we should know about before you go?” the super soldier asked, looking to the healer curiously, wanting to know if there was anything more he could do to help his boyfriend. 

“I would advise another check up in two to three weeks,” Draco said with a smile, glad that Steve was taking it seriously, knowing that Harry might need a little coaxing to be convinced that he needed to slow down and take care of himself more now. “I would so recommend no battles, fighting or duelling, and there is a long list of magical objects, potion ingredients and spells that you should avoid coming into contact with as well. Not to mention you should limit apparition, your body will be changing and it’ll increase the likelihood of splinching as you won’t be used to it.” 

“My job…” Harry said, thinking of how hard he had worked to get to the position he was in at the Ministry; it was hard for him to come to terms with the fact that he might not be able to retain it now that he was going to be a mother. He wanted this, he wanted these children, there was no doubt about that but he had worked so hard in his career, he didn’t want to throw that away so easily either. 

“Will still be there when they’re born,” Draco said gently. “Besides, you don’t have to give it up completely, just no field work. Wasn’t that the point of the promotion, to get you out of the field for a while, out of danger?”

“I like to think I earnt it,” Harry said somewhat indignantly. “Though I think that Kingsley might have thought that an added bonus,” he added with a resigned sigh, knowing deep down that he hadn’t entirely earnt the promotion he had been given, there had been a few ulterior motives behind the decision to make him Head Auror. 

“Harry,” Draco said with a sigh, “you earnt it a hundred times over with everything you have done for the wizarding world. Mr Rogers is a very lucky man to have you in his life and I hope that he knows that. Now, however, is time that you take something for yourself.” 

“You hear that,” Steve said pointedly, “it’s time to take something for yourself. Let me take care of you for a little while,” the super soldier pleaded. He wanted for Harry to listen to his healer’s advice, after all he had refused to see any other healer so Steve was seriously hoping that Harry would actually listen to this man. 

“Cap, you always take care of me,” Harry said sweetly. Draco couldn’t help but grimace a little at the implied meaning behind his words. 

“Damn it,” Draco muttered as he began fumbling in his pocket for the round white pebble that he always carried on him, it was a standard issued piece of equipment for healers to alert them to emergency situations at St Mungo’s. It was burning in his pocket and he knew that he had only minutes before it turned into a portkey and transported him to the healer. Usually when it went off it meant that Harry needed to be healed. Draco was only usually alerted to very serious emergencies so he knew that whatever was happening it had to be bad. 

“What’s the matter?” Harry asked with concern as Draco got to his feet. The other two followed suit, looking a little concerned at the worried expression on the healer’s face. It was late at night and usually the hospital had a rest period at this time, clearly something had gone very, very wrong. 

“Emergency at the hospital,” Draco explained quickly with a frown, “I have to go. I’ll be in touch about your next appointment.” It was a good thing that he spoke quickly because the moment that he had finished speaking he was gone as the portkey activated. 

“I hope everything is okay,” Harry said with a frown, staring at the spot where Draco had been while still leaning on Steve. He was feeling extremely tired and all he wanted was to curl up in bed with his boyfriend and go to sleep, which seemed like a rather excellent plan. 

“Me too,” Steve said with a worried sigh. It seemed like far too much of a coincidence that there was an emergency at the wizarding hospital on the same night that Neville, Clint, Natasha and a few other witches and wizards had gone after Teddy. He was praying that nothing had gone wrong with the mission and even though he knew that he couldn’t have gone, at least not without taking Harry with him, he really wished that he could have found a way so that he could have been useful to them. 

“Why are you worried?” Harry asked, stepping back and looking up at Steve curiously. He wasn’t sure why his boyfriend was so concerned, the tone of his voice had triggered something in Harry and now his instincts were trying to tell him something but he just couldn’t figure out what it was. “What is there for you to be worried about… unless… Steve, where are the others?” 

Harry’s brain was all over the place, jumping from one theory to the next, some more ridiculous than others but then he had thought of everything that Kingsley had said and done to keep him safe and out of harm’s way, how Steve had been acting, the stupid sightseeing tour. He really should have known that Clint and Natasha would never have been interested in anything like that, which begged the question of where they had really gone. 

“Harry…” Steve began to say, thinking fast, not wanting his boyfriend to get angry, to panic or even to do something stupid, not in his fragile state. “You’re tired, let’s just go to bed, I’m sure everything is fine.” 

“Where did they go?” Harry asked, looking at Steve accusingly. He had been keeping something from him and Harry was furious about it. He was glaring at Steve in utter outrage, unable to believe that his boyfriend had been deliberately hiding something from him. 

Before Steve could say anything in return they heard the front door and with his heart hammering, Harry turned away from Steve and headed into the hallway to see what had happened. Steve was hot on his heels, needing to know that everything had gone smoothly and that the emergency in the wizarding hospital was nothing more than a coincidence. 

Harry froze in the doorway, his hands raised to his mouth in shock at what he saw there. Clint and Natasha were looking a little worse for wear, both of them covered in cuts and grazes and Natasha seemed to be limping a little. If it hadn’t have been for the small boy that was clinging to Clint, clearly terrified, his head buried in the nape of Clint’s neck, Harry would have noticed that Neville wasn’t with them. 

“Teddy?” Harry asked, stepping forward, though somewhat hesitantly. He didn’t dare believe that his Godson was here, that he was safe. It was not something that he had expected to see this evening, as far as Harry was concerned Teddy’s location was still unknown and yet here he was, alive. 

“He’s okay,” Clint said as the little boy turned his head and saw his Godfather. There were tears in Harry’s eyes as he reached forward, arms outstretched towards the nine year old who released his hold on Clint in an instant and went to Harry. Teddy began to sob desperately the moment that he was in Harry’s arms, clinging to him desperately. 

“Where’s Neville?” Steve asked, looking between Natasha and Clint. He had seen them both injured a lot worse than this, he knew that they would be okay, they were at least standing on their own two feet, however the fact that Neville was missing completely worried him. 

At the question Harry looked over to Natasha and Clint, Teddy still in his arms and he saw Clint shake his head sadly, Natasha unable to look anywhere other than the floor. Harry froze, his grip on Teddy tightening as Clint opened his mouth to speak. 

“He was hit by a jet of green light,” Hawkeye explained with a tone of regret, “he didn’t move after that, one of the others took him to the wizard hospital but they said that he was already dead.” 

Harry sunk to the ground, struggling to breath, the nine year old crying with earnest as he too heard the news that Neville had died in the attempt to rescue him. Steve just stood, gaping at his fellow Avenger’s, unable to believe that one of their team had not made it back. Unable to form words, Steve went down on his knees behind Harry and encompassed both his boyfriend and Teddy with his arms, hugging them for all he was worth. He wanted to offer them what little comfort he could, though he knew the pain of losing a friend, there was nothing he could do to take away that pain. 

“I have to go,” Harry said, shrugging Steve off as he got to his feet with a new determination, refusing to let go of Teddy. Now that he had his Godson back he wasn’t going to let him out of his sight, not even for a moment. There was too much going round in his mind, too many thoughts screaming at him. He felt so conflicted, it was a comfort to have Steve’s arms around him but he felt so angry at his boyfriend too, Steve had lied to him and now Neville was dead. 

“Where?” Steve asked, not liking that Harry had suddenly decided that he had to leave. He was terrified that Harry might try and take revenge on someone, anyone, for what had happened to Neville and that wasn’t something he could risk happening right now. He had seen how Harry had reacted to George at the news that Teddy had been taken and Steve didn’t want to lose his boyfriend or their children. He needed to know what was going through Harry’s head before he could let him leave. 

“Clint, Natasha, do you want to come? I’m going to St Mungo’s, they could check you over, make sure you’re alright?” Harry offered, ignoring Steve completely and really not caring what rules were in place at the hospital, he wanted to offer Clint and Natasha any help that he could; they had brought teddy back to him after all, even if they hadn’t been able to save Neville and he knew there was nothing they could have done against that particular curse. 

“I think we’ve had enough of magic for a while,” Clint said and Natasha nodded her agreement to this, the two of them heading, slowly, towards the stairs, clearly in a great deal of pain and needing to rest. Harry could understand their reluctance to go with him, he didn’t blame them in the slightest. Magic was new to them, they didn’t understand it. 

“Harry, let me come with you,” Steve said, almost desperately. He didn’t want to see his boyfriend vanish off in the way that he did and leave him behind. Every inch of him was screaming to protect his boyfriend and unborn children. He reached forward to try and take Harry’s hand but Harry took a step back, giving a small shake of his head. 

Harry couldn’t help but glare at Steve hatefully, blaming him for what had happened to Neville. He was still carrying Teddy as if he were a toddler rather than a nine year old boy, holding him close, wanting to protect him now more than ever. “You lied to me,” Harry hissed out at the older man, not wanting to be anywhere near him, “if I had gone with them then Neville might still be alive.” 

“Clint and Natasha couldn’t even save him, what makes you think you could have made any more of a difference?” Steve asked, his tone was desperate, he wanted to make Harry see reason, to get his boyfriend to forgive him for not telling him the truth and for stopping him from going on the rescue mission. All he had wanted was to keep Harry safe, it was all he had ever wanted since meeting him. Now he just had a bigger reason to do that. 

“They couldn’t do anything against that curse,” Harry said through clenched teeth, “it was the killing curse that killed him. I could have deflected it, I could have done something, anything,” Harry said enraged, wishing that he could have been there, wishing that he could bring Neville back. It didn’t feel real that he was gone, that there was another death to add to the list that would weigh him down. 

“You could have died too,” Steve said almost angry himself at how Harry was reacting. He tried to reach out to touch Harry again, wanting to be close to him, however the younger man stepped away from him once again, shaking his head more firmly this time. He couldn’t stand it, he didn’t want Steve to touch him, not when he had trusted him, only for him to lie. 

“That wasn’t your decision to make,” Harry said, closing his eyes as he tried to fight off the tears that were welling up and threatening to fall. He couldn’t have this argument now, he just couldn’t. Pain was eating away at him and Harry knew he needed to get out before he did or said something that he later regretted. 

Without another word and with Teddy still in his arms, Harry disappeared, apperating to St Mungo’s and leaving behind a devastated looking Steve who honestly didn’t know what to do. Clint and Natasha were stood at the foot of the stairs looking at him with pity as they too watched Harry go, leaving Steve behind. Neither of them knew what to say so they simply left him to do what he needed to do to deal with losing Harry. 

\-------------------x 

The magical hospital was arush with people, apparently the Auror’s that had gone with Neville had been injured too and pretty badly. A lot of healers were trying very hard to save them and their remaining limbs. The deatheaters that had been helping Loki were now either dead or badly injured too, though Harry cared very little for them and apparently they weren’t much of a concern to the healers either. For the first time in his life Harry was able to walk through the crowd of people, no one paying him any attention as he approached the reception desk. 

There was a young, frantic looking witch stood behind it, seemingly dealing with a lot of different issues that were coming across her desk. “I need to see Healer Malfoy,” Harry said with his best tone of authority. 

“Healer Malfoy is busy,” the young witch said without looking up from what she was doing, “you’ll have to wait your turn, Sir,” she said as with a flick of her wand a stack of paper whizzed across the room and into a large filing cabinet. 

“He won’t be busy for us,” Harry said more firmly and this time his tone of voice caught the witches attention and she looked up from what she was doing and upon realising who it was that she was talking to, gaped at him for a moment, unable to believe her eyes. 

“Harry Potter?” she asked, as if unable to believe that he was actually here and she was actually speaking to him. Harry nodded the confirmation, just wanting to get to Draco and get him to look Teddy over. The poor boy was still holding on to him so tight that Harry wasn’t sure he was ever going to let go. 

“I need to see Draco now,” Harry said snappishly and the young witch nodded frantically, giving out directions directly to Draco’s office, telling him that the healer would be expecting him when he got there. 

“Harry,” a familiar voice said as Harry started to make his way in the direction that the young witch had told him to go. Stopping and turning to see who had called out to him, Harry say the Minister for Magic himself swooping majestically towards him. 

“Kingsley,” Harry said, not sure if he was happy to see the man or not. harry wasn’t stupid, he knew that the Minister would have had something to do with keeping him in the dark but he couldn’t be angry at the man, he hadn’t out right lied to him about what was going on, not like Steve had. 

“I thought you might come,” the minister said with a sigh, “where is Mr Rogers?” 

“I left him behind,” Harry said defiantly, meeting Kingsley’s eyes to let him know that he knew exactly what had gone on. “Where is Neville?” 

“Neville died, Jugson hit him with the killing curse,” Kingsley said, true regret showing in his voice as he spoke. 

“I know,” Harry said tensely, “I want to see him.” 

“Let’s get this young one seen to and then we can talk about it, I suppose you are going to see Healer Malfoy,” Kingsley asked and Harry nodded his confirmation of this. “I have some things to deal with here, I will meet you afterwards, we can talk then.”

Harry nodded once again, knowing that Teddy needed to be checked over and the only person that he trusted to do that was Draco. No one was going to come near his family ever again, Harry was going to make sure of it. He was going to make sure that Teddy and the twins were never hurt by anyone.

\-------------x

“He’s fine,” Draco said kindly, “he’s clearly shocked and his magic is severely drained but I can’t find any injuries at all. I would advise that he doesn’t use any magic for a few days so that it has time to recuperate and perhaps a pepper-up potion in the morning and a dreamless sleep for tonight.” 

Teddy was sat on Harry’s lap in Draco’s office having just had a full checkup to make sure that he hadn’t been hurt or injured in anyway. Teddy hadn’t said a single word since he had been reunited with Harry, he hadn’t wanted to be parted from him at all either. 

“Harry, is there any chance I could maybe talk to Teddy alone?” Draco asked, watching the young boy carefully. Instantly Teddy’s grip on Harry tightened, shaking his head, not wanting to be separated from his Godfather. He had been told that his Grandmother was dead, Harry was all he had now. 

“Why?” Harry asked, wondering what on earth Draco could want to ask the nine year old that would mean that he couldn’t be there to hear what was being said. 

“It’s a rather difficult question,” Draco said with a frown, “I have to ask and Teddy might not like what I have to ask him, neither will you come to that, but it is important that I know so that we can give treatment if it is needed.” 

“I’m not leaving him,” Harry said stubbornly, he didn’t care what the questions were that Draco had to ask, he wasn’t going anywhere. 

“I can see that,” Draco said with understanding. He didn’t want Harry to get upset, it was clear that tensions were running a little high as it was and with Harry pregnant, Draco didn’t want to risk the health of the unborn twins in Harry’s belly. “Teddy, you don’t have to speak, just nod or shake your head, do you understand?” 

Hesitantly, Teddy nodded his head to show that he understood. There was a deep fear in his emerald green eyes, Draco thought it was kind of sweet that he was echoing Harry’s eyes but it wasn’t nice to see such fear there. 

“Remember Teddy, you’re not in trouble here okay, we just need to ask a couple of questions before you can go home with Harry, all right?” Draco said, wanting to be sure that his cousin knew that he wasn’t in trouble. Teddy nodded his head to show that he understood. “While you were with those men, did they come and talk to you at all?” Draco asked, picking his words carefully, wanting to start the questioning gently. 

Teddy nodded his head. 

“Did they talk to you about nice things?” Draco asked, watching the small boy carefully. This was probably his least favourite part of his job. It wasn’t often that he had to talk to young children about this and he hated that it was his a member of his family that he needed to ask these questions to now but he needed to know. 

Teddy shook his head. 

“Did they tell you what they wanted to do to you?” Draco asked, keeping a close eye on Teddy’s reactions. The nine year old had tensed up a little now as the questions became more difficult for him to answer. It was a struggle for Draco to keep to simple, yes or no questions. He wanted more answers, he wanted to know exactly what had been done but he kept his cool and carried on. 

Teddy nodded his head. 

Harry was just as tense as Teddy was at this point. The questions were getting to him too but he, like Draco was able to call upon his training to keep calm and wait until Teddy was ready to divulge information to them. They couldn’t force it out of him because that would make them just as bad as the men that had kidnapped Teddy in the first place. 

“Did they touch you?” Draco asked gently, truly horrified when Teddy nodded his head. There were tears in the young boys eyes, he couldn’t help but recall what had happened to him, how all three of them had entered his room and he had panicked, unable to make himself look like all three of them at once. 

“Did they hurt you?” Draco asked, hating this more and more. Teddy however shook his head, an answer that shocked both Draco and Harry. tears were flowing down Teddy’s cheeks at this point, his hands trembling a little even as they clung to Harry’s top. 

“Where they stopped before they got the chance to hurt you?” Draco asked, thinking that who ever had rescued the young boy might have got there just in time. His suspicion was confirmed when Teddy nodded his head. 

“Was it the man that carried you home that stopped them?” Harry asked gently, thinking he owed Clint a massive debt if this was the case. Teddy nodded his head and then buried his head into Harry’s chest, wanting for the questions to be over, both Harry and Draco got the message. 

“I think you can take him home,” Draco said with a frown and a nod of his head. “You can pick up his potions downstairs, I’ll come and see him tomorrow if that’s alright with you?” Draco asked, thinking that it would be nice to see his cousin in a non professional sense. 

“Yes,” Harry said as he got to his feet, Teddy still in his arms, “though we won’t be going back to where you saw us tonight, I still have to liaise with Kingsley but I’ll let him know that you are fine to be told where we are.” 

“Harry,” Draco said, casting a glance down at Teddy, not wanting to speak to frankly in front of the nine year old, “Don’t push Steve away, I don’t know what happened tonight or why but he seems good for you.”

“He lied to me,” Harry said softly, “I could have helped, I could have maybe saved Neville.” Draco nodded, showing that he understood where Harry was coming from, though he still didn’t think that this was a good enough reason for Harry to turn his back on his boyfriend. “I think I just need some time to deal,” Harry added. 

“I’ll see you both tomorrow,” Draco promised with a nod of his head as he showed Harry and Teddy out of his office. They were two people that he cared about a lot and he would do anything for both of them. It wasn’t something that he ever thought would be the case, not where Harry Potter was concerned, however Draco couldn’t have been happier that it was. 

\------------x 

Natasha and Clint had long since gone to bed but Steve hadn’t been able to. With Harry still not back with him he was unable to relax at all, pacing the length of the living room. He wished that he had never let Harry leave without him, now it was the early hours of the morning and he still wasn’t home. 

There were so many things running through his mind, he worried that Harry had left him and that he would never be coming back. He knew that he had stepped over the line by lying to Harry but he had thought that it had been the right thing to do. 

The thought of Harry leaving him was painful but it was the best case scenario for him right now. Compared to the other things going through his mind it was the option he would have picked over any of the others. His mind was unhelpfully supplying images of Harry lying dead somewhere, beyond help. Steve’s biggest fear was losing Harry one way or another and he didn’t think that he would be able to cope if he did. 

“Mr Rogers?” a voice said softly from across the room. Kingsley hadn’t wanted to startle the man too drastically, not when he had been so deep in thought. 

“Harry?” Steve asked instantly as he looked over at the Minister for Magic desperately, wanting to know that Harry was safe, that he was out of harms way for the moment. 

“Is fine,” Kingsley said with a soft sigh, “he’s gone to stay with friends in a safe house. He asked me to let you know so that you didn’t worry but also to tell you that he wouldn’t be back for a few days.” 

“A few days?” Steve asked in outrage. “Is what I did really that bad? Does he hate me that much?” 

“No, he doesn’t hate you,” Kingsley said, feeling extremely for the super soldier. “He just needs someone to blame and unfortunately he tends to blame those he cares about most when it comes down to it.”

“What if he can’t forgive me?” Steve asked desperately, the fear of losing Harry running through his mind once more, thinking that he would never forgive himself if this one mistake cost him the man he loved and their children too. 

“He will,” Kingsley said with certainty. “He is with two people that have known him longer and more in depth than anyone has ever had the privilege of knowing him, they are probably the best people for him to be with right now.” 

“I need him,” Steve said hopelessly. Knowing that Harry was safe was a huge weight off his shoulders but knowing that Harry didn’t want to see him, didn’t want to be near him, that was a soul destroying blow that he wasn’t sure he could cope with. 

“And he needs you,” Kingsley said with certainty, “Don’t worry, focus on Loki and finding him, after tonight he has lost his stronghold and his leverage, it will be easier to draw him out. In the morning perhaps regroup…” 

“Morning?” Steve said in confusion, “To hell with morning, we’re going now. I want Harry back and I want him safe.” 

Kingsley didn’t have a chance to say anything as Steve headed out the room and up the stairs. The Minister for magic had to admire the man’s sheer determination to do everything and anything he could to get Harry back to him; it was rather sweet. 

Steve didn’t bother knocking as he burst into Clint’s room, though he had to do a double take when he realised that Clint was not alone. Natasha was on top of him, both of them completely naked and in a rather compromising situation. 

“I’ll come back later,” Steve said turning and leaving the room at once, wishing that he could unsee what he had just seen. It was an image that would no doubt haunt him to his grave. Black Widow was an attractive woman but he had never wanted to see that much of her. Though it had made him realise that an attack on Loki could probably wait until morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry.... comment???


	20. Discussions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry spends some time with Ron and Hermione.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry about what I did to Neville... please enjoy this chapter. :)

“Harry, are you sure you don’t want to go back to Steve and the others tonight?” Kingsley asked gently, thinking that it wasn’t the best idea to separate Harry from the Avengers right now. Kingsley didn’t know what had happened but with Neville dead he could very well imagine why it was that Harry wanted to be moved somewhere else with Teddy. They were still at St Mungo’s and from here he could take them anywhere, it all depended on what Harry decided to do. 

“I’m sorry,” Harry said sadly, looking at the Minister seriously, “I can’t go back there tonight, we just need a little bit of time,” he added, giving Teddy’s shoulder a small squeeze. The nine year old was on his own two feet but looking slightly worse for wear as he leaned heavily into Harry’s side. It was now very late in the evening and bedtime was long overdue for the young boy. After recounting his ordeal to Harry and Draco, Teddy didn’t want to think about what had happened to him while he had been held captive ever again. 

Teddy had been fairly inconsolable when he had realised that the stuffed bear Harry had given him, the one that had kept him strong while he had been held hostage by the deatheaters, had been left behind during the rescue mission. Harry didn’t think they would be able to get it back now, though he was determined to ask regardless, but Harry had promised Teddy that he could have another one. He didn’t understand why it was so important to his Godson but it undoubtedly was and Harry could respect that. 

“Alright,” Kingsley said with a sigh, “I’ll go and let them all know that you’re alright once you’re settled in for the night.” He knew where Harry and Teddy could go for a little while, to give them the time that they needed. It was somewhere that he knew would benefit them both the most and hopefully get Harry back on track as well. Kingsley just hoped that it was the right call to make.

“Thank you,” Harry said earnestly. “Draco will have to be told where we are, he said he would want to come and see Teddy tomorrow.” The healer would never be denied access to his location, mainly so he could always find him to heal him. 

“I’ll let him know as well,” Kingsley confirmed. “I’ll take you to another safe house, the two of you will be safe there; I am the secret keeper to the place myself. Though I took the liberty of fixing up your apartment while you were in America; I’m not sure how your attackers broke through the wards but regardless the place is fixed and secure, though probably for the best if you don’t stay there until this business with Loki is finished.” 

“Thank you, that was kind of you,” Harry said with a small smile, thinking that it would be nice to be somewhere that was familiar to him. Not that the little apartment had ever felt homey; it had always been more of a crash pad turned place to fuck as many people as possible, but regardless, it was still his. He would never be able to live there with Teddy though, it wasn’t suitable for a young boy to grow up in. “The wards were my fault, they needed renewing but I hadn’t found the time,” he admitted. “I suspect that George would have known me well enough to know what wards I would have used and been able to look for weaknesses in them.” 

“Come on, I think this young man needs some rest,” Kingsley said, looking at Teddy fondly, the nine year old clearly exhausted, “before he falls asleep on his feet.” Now was not the time to discuss anything that had happened, not in front of Teddy. In truth, Kingsley was just as concerned for Harry as he was about Teddy; they had both been through a lot in the last few days and they both needed to get some rest. 

Even though the Minister didn’t think it wise to separate Harry from Steve and the other Avengers that had travelled to England, he could see just how desperately Harry needed that time to rest, recuperate and come to terms with the fact that one of his childhood friends had died. Harry had seen so much death in his life that it wasn’t surprising that he struggled with it sometimes. 

Harry nodded his agreement, scooping the young boy up and into his arms. Teddy wasn’t as heavy as he ought to have been for his age, though he was still a hefty weight to lift. Harry wasn’t going to be able to make a habit of carrying the nine year old around like this, especially not considering the twins growing in his belly. However, Teddy needed that comfort right now and Harry was more than willing to give it to him. 

Motioning for them to come towards him, Kingsley placed one hand on Harry’s shoulder and apperated them away from St Mungo’s and to the safe house. In all his time as a wizard, Harry had never managed to get the hang of magical travel and, despite being able to apparate for himself, it still made him a little nauseous, not to mention the landing was always a little shaky. Kingsley was able to stabilise him as they landed, thankfully, because otherwise he might have dropped Teddy. He really was going to have to start finding other methods of transportation; Draco had already warned him that apperating wasn’t idea when he was pregnant. 

The three of them had appeared in a small but beautifully furnished living room. It wasn’t a place that Harry had ever been to before; however, there were two people he recognised instantly sat on the couch, both of them looking rather shocked at the sudden arrival of three people in their front room as they hadn’t been expecting any visitors, especially not at such a late hour. 

“Ron, Hermione?” Harry asked in disbelief, looking to Kingsley as if to make sure he wasn’t seeing things. The Minister for Magic nodded and smiled in confirmation, glad to see that Harry was happy to see his old friends. It had been so long since Harry had seen the two of them and he hadn’t realised just how much of a relief it was to be reunited with them, to know that they were safe. Apparently he needed his two best friends more than he realised he did. 

“Harry,” Hermione said in shock, the two of them gaping at their friend as if they couldn’t believe their eyes either; it had been months since they had last seen him after all. Neither of them had moved an inch since the three of them had just appeared in front of them, they really hadn’t been expecting any visitors let alone the Minister for Magic, Harry Potter and Teddy Lupin. 

“You have no idea how good it is to see you two,” Harry said as Hermione and Ron got to their feet. Not caring that Harry still had Teddy in his arms, they both wrapped their arms around their friend and his Godson, grateful to see him and to know that he was alive. Harry actually believed the words that he spoke. He had missed his friends more than he could put into words, they meant more to him than even he had ever realised. 

“I’ll leave the three of you alone,” Kingsley said kindly, glad to see that he had made the right call by bringing Harry here, it was clearly just what he needed. He knew that he would now have to go and talk to Steve, break the news that Harry wouldn’t be returning to him tonight and he wasn’t sure how the super soldier would react to this. Knowing how protective Steve was over Harry he doubted that it would be a calm reaction. 

“Kingsley,” Harry said as he broke apart from his friends, catching the Minister’s attention before he could leave. “You’ll tell Steve that I’m okay, make sure he doesn’t worry?” he requested, wanting to make sure that his boyfriend knew he was safe, that he was okay. 

“I’ll tell him,” Kingsley said with a small smile; he knew Harry far too well after so many years working together, fighting side by side. Harry would need someone to blame for the death of his friend, Steve was an easy scapegoat for this but Kingsley knew it wouldn’t last; Harry just needed some space to come to terms with what had happened so that he could deal with it and move passed it. He was never going to be able to stay mad at Steve for long, the Minister just hoped that Steve would be able to understand this. 

\-------------x 

Harry, Ron and Hermione had decided that seeing as it was so late, the three of them would catch up in the morning, mostly because there was so much to discuss that they would have all been up or the whole night. So much had happened since he had last seen his friends and Harry was dreading telling them. It was not a conversation that he needed to have when he felt so drained. 

There were only three bedrooms in the safehouse, Harry was given one and Teddy had a bed in the room where Rose was sleeping, the thirteen month old baby still in a crib. The young boy didn’t remain in his own bed for long, however, too scared to even close his eyes; he didn’t want to be alone. Rose was not much in the way of company for him and the little girl could do nothing to ward off his nightmares. 

Harry was having a similar problem. He had never been very good at sleeping alone, not since the Battle of Hogwarts. Usually, if he didn’t have a one night stand to share his bed with for the night, then he would drink himself into such a stupor that it was easy to forget the issues clouding his brain and stopping him from falling into an easy sleep. The urge to grab the nearest bottle of fire whiskey tonight was overwhelming; the only reason he didn’t was because of his twins, knowing it would do more harm than good to start drinking. 

He would never do anything to put them in harm’s way, he knew that now. If he had been given the choice then he would have gone into battle without thinking twice, and he was slowly coming to be grateful for the fact that Steve had kept it hidden from him and taken the choice out of his hands. Now Harry didn’t have to feel guilty about not going to rescue his Godson. 

As Teddy crawled silently into the bed next to him and cuddled into his side, Harry came to the realisation that what Steve and Kingsley had done in keeping him out of the rescue mission had been to keep, not only the children safe, but also the world. Of course Harry wished that they would have discussed it with him but he was trying very hard to see it how they had done it for him rather than working against him. Harry wrapped his arms around the small, scared boy, comforting him and he found that having Teddy there was a comfort to him, it felt nice.

So many things could have gone wrong tonight, if Loki had been there as well then things could have gone a completely different way. None of this took away the pain of losing Neville but Harry knew that it wasn’t Steve’s fault that Neville had died. However, having some distance from the super soldier was what he needed tonight. He could use the time to wrap his head around everything that had happened in the last three weeks that had lead him to his point in his life where he was utterly besotted with a man and carrying two of his children. 

Harry fell into an uneasy sleep in the very early hours of the morning, Teddy curled around him, whimpering quietly in his sleep, nightmares that no nine year old boy should have plaguing him while he slept. 

\-------x 

Steve had barely slept all night. He had been worried about Harry, he didn’t care what Kingsley said, Harry wasn’t with him and therefore he was going to worry regardless of what he was told. It also didn’t help that he had the mental image of Natasha riding Clint burnt into his brain, an image he was unable to forget. 

Giving up on sleep, Steve trailed downstairs thinking that he may as well have some breakfast while he figured out what to do. He knew that Loki had to be eliminated as a threat before Harry could be safe but figuring out how to achieve that was something else entirely. One thing he was certain of was that he wasn’t going to let anyone or anything near Harry or Teddy again. Steve might not have known the nine year old long but he saw how strongly Harry was bonded to him and that meant Steve was just as protective of the young boy now as Harry was. 

Clint and Natasha came down an hour after Steve had finished his breakfast. The two of them found the super soldier sat in the kitchen, deep in thought as he mulled over everything that he knew he had to do to keep Harry and their family safe. Both Hawkeye and Black Widow were looking a little sheepish as they started to grab a few things for breakfast, both a little embarrassed at how they had been caught the night before. 

“Steve…” Clint began to say but Steve looked up at the Archer and shook his head, he didn’t want to hear about it. He was happy for them, he really was, but he really didn’t want to talk about it. 

“Is Harry back yet?” Natasha asked. She wanted to get going with the mission they had travelled all this way to complete, and while she knew that Steve wouldn’t want Harry on missions now, they probably should wait for him before deciding their next move.

“No,” Steve said bluntly, a scowl on his face. “He is staying somewhere else for a few days,” he explained, ignoring the concerned look that Natasha and Clint shared; they had know that Harry was angry at Steve, how could they not, given the way that the young man had left the day before, but normally it was nigh on impossible to separate the two of them.

“Is he okay?” Clint ventured cautiously, not wanting to upset matters but equally wanting to know that Harry was alright. They were friends, at least he considered them to be, and he wanted to be sure that both Harry and the young boy he had rescued were safe. 

“He will be when we’re finished,” Steve said with determination. “We’re ending this, we’re going after Loki. I’m done waiting around for him to make another move, we go after him and we end this!” 

“I know you want Harry back…” Natasha said gently, but Steve was quick to cut her off with a stern look. He wouldn’t be challenged on this. 

“No,” Steve said firmly, “Loki has caused enough trouble on this planet. We deal with him now.” Clint gave Natasha an exasperated look and she shrugged in response but it seemed that there would be no talking Steve out of it, there rarely was when he got an idea in his head, one that he was determined to see through.

“Guess we’d better call Stark and Banner,” Natasha said with a sigh, “we’ll need some help if we’re going to do this.” 

\-------x

Despite falling asleep in the early hours of the morning, Harry was the first one up, though not by choice. Teddy had woken up screaming and crying a few hours after he had fallen asleep. It had taken an hour to calm him down before promising him pancakes for breakfast and the two of them heading down to the kitchen so that he could fulfil this promise. 

Only once Harry had calmed him, had Teddy relaxed enough to look like himself rather than anyone else, which seemed to be acting like some form of defense mechanism for the nine year old right now. It was nice to see the light brown hair of his old Professor, Remus Lupin; Teddy did look so much like his father when he wasn’t using the talents he had inherited from his metamorphmagus mother. The young boy’s eyes were naturally light blue, something he must have inherited from his mother, not that Harry had ever known what colour Tonks’ eyes had been naturally. 

“Can I help?” Teddy asked excitedly as Harry started to get the stuff out that they would need to make breakfast; he loved to cook and had often done so with his grandmother. The chance to cook with Harry was one that was too good to miss. 

“Of course,” Harry agreed happily, glad to see the nine year old smiling given the state he had been in not that long ago. Soon the two of them had a pancakes cooking, making enough for everyone, piling them high, though they probably made far too many. Harry just liked to hear Teddy laugh as he flipped the pancakes in the pan

“Grandma could never flip them like that,” Teddy said as he watched Harry flip what was probably the fortieth pancake in the pan so that it could brown on the other side, “she always had to use magic.” 

“Teddy…” Harry said with a sigh as he put the freshly cooked pancake on the plate, deciding that they now had enough. “You know that your Grandma, she isn’t here anymore. She’s gone to see your mum and dad.” Harry had no idea whether or not Teddy knew that his grandmother was dead, it was something that they needed to talk about sooner rather than later. 

“I know,” Teddy said sadly. He had been trying not to think about it, knowing that his Grandma was dead hurt him a lot and he didn’t really understand what had happened. However, because his parents had died when he was so young he knew that when someone died it meant that they could never come back. “I’m happy she’s with my mum again, Grandma missed her a lot.” 

“I forgot how grown up you are,” Harry said with a small smile, bringing Teddy in for a hug; he had spent so much time avoiding the people that he loved that he had never taken the time to truly get to know his Godson. He had allowed Ron and Hermione to drift away from him too and Harry was determined to rectify this. 

Now that Teddy was safe and George was in custody at S.H.I.E.L.D. in America, Harry didn’t see any reason to continue involving himself in this mission. Loki was nothing to do with him after all; the only connection he had to the mission was the sphere which he had put into the Ministry. Now that he had Teddy to take care of and his twins growing in his belly he knew that he couldn’t put himself at risk, it wasn’t really just his life anymore anyway, it belonged to his two unborn children and Teddy now too. 

“Who is going to look after me now?” Teddy asked, looking up at Harry curiously. It had been something that had been worrying the nine year old. He didn’t want to go and live with strangers, it wasn’t like he had any family left now, all he had was Harry and his cousin Draco. Both of them worked a lot though, sometimes even together or so he had been told, he wasn’t sure that either of them would want him though. 

“Teddy, I thought you knew,” Harry said with a frown, looking down at the young boy, “I’m going to be looking after you from now on,” he said, giving Teddy a small smile. He had been thinking about it a lot the night before and he knew that he was going to be giving up his job to concentrate on his family. Harry thought he owed it to Teddy and to his two unborn children to give them his undivided attention, they deserved that from him and it wasn’t as if he needed the money. 

“You mean that?” Teddy asked with a hint of excitement. “I’m really going to live with you?” Harry had always been someone that he looked up to and admired, there were so many stories of what Harry had done. Teddy had always been rather proud that Harry was his Godfather even when it meant that all of the heroic deeds he did meant that Teddy didn’t see Harry as much as he would have liked. 

“I mean that,” Harry said with a huge smile when he saw how happy this news made Teddy. Just from the young boy’s happiness, Harry knew that he had made the right choice. He truly wanted to make a go of this life with Steve, to have something that was remotely normal with him, for their children and for Teddy. 

“You found everything okay then?” Hermione asked as she wandered into the kitchen, smiling at the sight of Harry and Teddy cooking together. When she and Ron had made the decision to distance themselves from Harry it had been because the choices he was making were endangering his life. Harry had become recklessly stupid with his life, not only at work as Auror but also in his personal life with his drinking and how many people he had taken to his bed. 

It had pained both Ron and Hermione to take a step back from Harry because they knew that he was struggling badly; but they couldn’t put their own daughter at risk to try and help him, it just wasn’t something that they could do. However, seeing him now, with Teddy and apparently happy, was enlightening. 

“Yeah,” Harry said smiling at his old friend, “I made breakfast too,” he added. “Where’s Ron, I don’t think he’ll want to miss this.” 

“WE made pancakes,” Teddy said rather indignantly before Hermione could respond. The nine year old was glaring at his Godfather rather playfully, arms crossed over his chest in mock annoyance that Harry had had the audacity to claim all of the credit for the breakfast they had made together. 

“Oh yes, I do apologise,” Harry said with a laugh as he went to tickle Teddy’s sides, the nine year old laughing as he fought to get away from the offending fingers that were making him laugh, “we made pancakes, and even then I think I take far too much of the credit, they are really all Teddy’s creation,” Harry added as he scooped Teddy up into his arms and hugged him. 

“It’s good to hear you laugh again mate,” Ron said as he came into the kitchen, Rose in his arms, bouncing happily there, her blue eyes looking all around her, searching for her mother. 

“Mama,” Rose said with a gurgle, reaching out for Hermione, who accepted her daughter from Ron without hesitation. The little girl already had a full head of red hair that was wispy and sticking up all over the place in a rather cute way. 

“She’s got so big,” Harry said as he put Teddy down on his own two feet and encouraged him into a chair so that he could start eating. Ron too took a seat at the table, summoning over the high chair so that Hermione could put Rose in it for her breakfast too. 

“When’s the last time you saw her?” Hermione asked curiously. She genuinely couldn’t remember when Harry had last come to visit them; she was sure it was sometime between when his partner had died on the last mission he had been sent on but before his promotion, which meant at least three months had passed since they had seen each other last. 

“A while,” Harry said sounding apologetic as he put the sugar, lemon juice, syrup and chocolate spread on the table for them all before taking his seat. He was feeling rather guilty about the fact that he hadn’t been to see them for so long, he was really hoping to rectify that. With the decisions he had now made in regards to his life, Harry was sure that he would be able to rebuild the bridges he had damaged with his friends. 

“Are you back for good then or is this a sweeping visit?” Ron asked as Hermione and Harry finally settled themselves at the table and began to help themselves to food. Hermione sent a stern glare in her husband's direction, not thinking that this was the time or the place for such blunt questions. 

“Harry’s going to look after me now,” Teddy said happily as he piled three pancakes on to his plate before reaching for the chocolate spread. Hermione and Ron both looked rather confused at this, looking to Harry for an explanation, not understanding how it was going to work with the constant missions that had him away for weeks at a time. 

“What about Andromeda? I thought that she was the one taking care of Teddy,” Hermione asked, confused as to what had happened and why Harry was now going to be taking care of Teddy. She didn’t think that it was a very good idea, not unless a lot had changed since they had been locked away in this safe house. 

“You mean… you don’t know…” Harry said, a little shocked that his two friends were in the dark about what was going on. He wasn’t sure that he felt comfortable being the one to break the news about what had happened, he wasn’t even sure that they knew that Neville was dead. 

“Harry, we’ve been in this safe house for the last month,” Hermione said tiredly as she cut up some pancakes for Rose to eat. “We haven’t been told anything other than we were in danger, George is missing and you were in the middle of it all.” 

“I didn’t realise,” Harry said in shock, suddenly losing his appetite as he realised that he would have to be the one to tell them. He would have to tell them what George had done, where he was; he would have to be the one to tell them that Andromeda and Neville were dead too. It was not something he wanted to be breaking to them. Someone should have kept them up to date, someone else should have told them. 

“What’s going on, Harry?” Ron asked, looking at his best friend curiously, worried that there was something seriously wrong and they were not fears that were unfounded either. “Not that we aren’t glad to see you but why are you here, what’s happening?” 

“I don’t even know where to start to explain all of this to you,” Harry said, lost in his own thoughts about everything he was going to have to tell them. He didn’t want to tell them anything but he knew he had to. He couldn’t keep them in the dark about it, it simply wasn’t fair. The pancakes were now entirely unappealing as he prepared himself for what he had to tell them. 

“Maybe start at the beginning,” Hermione suggested gently, casting a glance over at Teddy who was now helping himself to a fourth and fifth pancake, lathering them in chocolate spread so that the pancakes themselves were buried in brown goop. Rose was more than happy smashing her food into a pulp before eating it and was laughing as she squished it in her little fist. 

“I went to America,” Harry said, knowing that Hermione was right, he had to start from the beginning and to make them understand he had to tell them everything. “Someone was after an artifact that I recovered on one of my last missions as an Auror and Kingsley sent me to America to work with a specialist team to bring him down.” 

“Okay, we’re following,” Hermione said with a nod, helping herself to some of the food now, though she really wasn’t feeling very hungry, more curious as to what was going on than anything. Ron had stopped eating too, a sign of just how much he wanted to know what had been happening.

“I fell in love with one of them,” Harry said with a small smile, thinking of Steve. He knew that he was in love with his super soldier, there was no doubt in his mind about that. “His name is Steve, we’re together now,” he explained, delighting in the fact that Ron and Hermione were grinning at him, clearly thrilled with this piece of news. 

“That’s fantastic,” Hermione said, beaming at her friend. It was high time that Harry settled down in her mind, she was glad that he had finally found someone to do that with. She had been worried about him on that front, especially when one of his bed partners had been Draco Malfoy but he had at least got over that now. 

“There is so much more to it now,” Harry said with a slight blush tinting his cheeks, unsure about whether he wanted to voice this in front of Teddy. Rose would be oblivious seeing as she was only thirteen months old but Teddy would ask questions. “I’m pregnant,” Harry said with a slight whisper. 

“Goodness!” Hermione exclaimed, “well, congratulations!” she said in utter astonishment. She really wasn’t sure what to think about this, Ron could clearly not say anything, he was sat very still gaping at his best friend as if he had never seen him before. 

Teddy, however, had not missed what had been said and turned to Harry grinning, “you’re having a baby?” he asked with excitement. “Is it with the blue haired man?” 

At this thought Harry burst out into laughter. The idea of him and Clint having a baby together was something that greatly amused him and it took him a moment to calm down enough to set the record straight. “No,” Harry said, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes, “not Clint, it’s with Steve, he’s the large blond man.” 

“Blond?” Ron questioned with a roll of his eyes. “What is it with you and blonds? I think you have a problem, redheads are always better,” Ron added with a smirk “and Charlie has always had a crush on you.” 

“Ron, I’m pregnant with another man’s children, I’ve just told you I’m in love with him and you’re trying to set me up with your older brother, seriously?” Harry asked incredulously, “Though with what I have to tell you next you might not want me in your family.” 

“What, why? What else is there to know?” Hermione asked in confusion as she summoned some juice for Rose from the fridge at the young girl’s demands for it, she wasn’t in the right frame of mind to insist on manners from her daughter right now. Hermione wasn’t sure what more there could be for Harry to tell them; though, knowing Harry, which she liked to think she did, it was about to get a whole lot worse because nothing could be simple when it came to the life of Harry Potter. 

“The man after this artifact,” Harry said vaguely, thinking that it was probably for the best if they didn’t know all the details of what had been going on just in case they were put into harm’s way because of it, “he recruited help from a few wizards, offering things that he shouldn’t have to win their trust.” 

“Anyone we know?” Ron asked, looking worried. He had an inkling that he knew where Harry was going with this but it worried him a little and he honestly didn’t want to believe it. George had been going through a rough time and now he was missing but he wanted to believe that his brother had just wandered off for a few days and would come back to them very soon. 

“There were three deatheaters that were freed from Azkaban,” Harry confirmed, “they are all dead now,” he added, taking a deep breath to prepare himself for the next bit, which was going to be the hardest part. “George was the fourth.” 

“No,” Ron said in disbelief, not wanting to take it in. His own brother working against Harry, he couldn’t understand why George would do such a thing. Harry found it hard to even look at Ron, remembering how George had begged and pleaded to be killed so that he could be reunited with Fred, the desperation in his voice. 

“There must have been a reason,” Hermione said in shock, she didn’t want to believe it either. George had been so lost since he had lost Fred but she had never thought that he would ever do something like this. 

“He was promised Fred back,” Harry said sadly. “I tried to tell him that it was something that couldn’t be done but George was determined, he was convinced that one way or another he was going to be reunited with Fred whether in this life or the next.” 

“Is he dead?” Ron asked, completely disregarding the fact that there were little ears listening in. He knew that George had been on a downward spiral ever since Fred had died, they had all hoped that he would recover; however, as the years had passed it had seemed less and less likely that he would. 

“No,” Harry said shaking his head, “he isn’t dead but he is in America. He’s being held in a detention centre by a government agency. It’s an agency that I trust if that helps, though I suspect it doesn’t. He’s safe, just a little bit broken.” 

“How broken?” Ron asked sadly, wondering how he was going to tell his mum about this, he wasn’t sure that he would be able to. Teddy was still shovelling in pancakes, he was keeping his head down, his attention seemingly fixed on his breakfast; however, that didn’t mean that he wasn’t listening to everything that was being said. 

“He asked me to kill him,” Harry said gently, not sure how Ron was going to feel about this. “I’m pretty sure that there isn’t a way back for him now, I’m sorry.” It truly did pain Harry to tell his friends this, but he swore that he was going to make sure that George wasn’t disregarded, lost to the system. Harry would do everything and anything he could to help him, even after everything that had happened he would do this. 

“You didn’t...” Hermione ventured, looking at Harry in shock. She was a little more aware of the fact that Teddy was eavesdropping; however, with everything that the nine year old had endured in his life she didn’t think that protecting him from this conversation was going to do much good. 

“No,” Harry said, shaking his head. “I almost did, when he told me that he had helped to kidnap Teddy but I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of it. I didn’t want another death weighing me down, I have so many already.” Hermione looked at Harry with sympathy as he said this but he shook his head, not wanting to see anything of the kind from her. What they had been through they had suffered together but Hermione had had Ron to help her deal, Harry had only had alcohol, until now. 

“He helped to kidnap me?” Teddy asked suddenly, stopping eating and looking at Harry a little bit shocked. He had liked the Weasleys and even though George had been one of the family members that had been a little distant to him he had still liked him. It had been the middle of the night when he had been taken, all he remembered was seeing his Grandmother die, he couldn’t remember who it had been who had taken him, in fact anything else had been a blur until he had been put in that room. 

“I’m sorry,” Harry said to the nine year old, leaning towards him and placing a soft kiss on his temple. “He never wanted you hurt, I think he was caught up in a situation out of his control,” he explained, looking to Ron as he spoke, wanting to know that this was exactly what he thought and they weren’t just empty words meant as a comfort to the nine year old boy. 

“Did this specialist team you went to America to work with help you get Teddy back?” Hermione asked; Ron was in too much shock at what his brother had done to say much about anything at this point, too consumed with the thought of his brother betraying them in such a way. He didn’t know how he was going to break all of this to his mother. 

“The blue haired man rescued me,” Teddy said with a small smile, “he carried me back to Harry. I like him, he’s funny. The lady is mean though, she made fun of his hair and I think it’s really cool.” 

“Yes,” Harry said with a chuckle, rather liking the fact that Teddy seemed rather taken with Clint, “two members of the team did anyway and Neville helped them,” Harry said and as he spoke the name of his fallen friend there was a stab of pain in his chest, hating that his friend had died during a rescue mission to help save Teddy, something else that he had to tell his friends. 

“What is it you’re not telling us?” Hermione asked, perceptive as ever and instantly picking up on the fact that there was something Harry was holding back from them. It concerned her when Harry was scared to tell them something, it usually meant that it was something very bad. 

“Neville…” Harry began, bowing his head and fighting to hold back the tears, he didn’t want to cry in front of Teddy, he didn’t want to show just how guilty he felt about it. “Neville never made it back,” he explained gently, unable to look at anyone at the table with him. 

“Oh,” Hermione said, tears suddenly welling in her eyes. It was not something that she had been expecting. It was what she had always been afraid of, it was why she had asked Ron not to carry on being an Auror, she hadn’t ever wanted to be in the position where she was sat, waiting for someone to come and tell her that her husband and the father of her child was dead. 

“They went before I could go with them,” Harry said, still trying to be strong but failing miserably, the tears were gathering and he knew that he wouldn’t be able to hold them back for long. Teddy instantly got out of his chair and crawled into his Godfather’s lap, he might not have known Neville at all but he had heard stories of him too. Neville had been a great man and Teddy understood that he had meant a great deal to Harry. “They left me behind,” Harry said, his voice a strangled sob as he wound his arms around his Godson and held him close. 

“But you’re pregnant,” Hermione said indignantly, “You’ve just told us this yourself, why would you have been going anyway?” she asked him, feeling a little angry at her friend that he would have even considered being a part of a rescue mission when he was pregnant. 

“Because it was Teddy,” Harry said, placing a kiss to the top of the nine year old’s head. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for those that he considered to be family. 

“Let me guess,” Ron said suddenly finding his voice, “you came here because you didn’t want to go back to the team, back to the man you love because he tricked you into staying out of the fight and all to protect you and the child you’re carrying.” 

“Children,” Harry corrected, “but basically yes,” he admitted, feeling rather ashamed of himself as his best friend summarised exactly what had happened. Ron really did know him far too well. “I’m having twins,” Harry said when his two friends gave him a rather quizzical look. 

“Merlin, you’re an idiot,” Hermione said with a sigh, “please tell me you aren’t going to shut this man out of your life because he tried to protect you.” 

“Actually no,” Harry said with a sigh. “I’ve decided to quit my job,” he explained to them when they looked at him curiously. “I want to give my time and attention to Teddy, the twins and to Steve too. My family need me more than the Wizarding world; it’s taken me a while to realise that but I see it now.” 

“Finally,” Ron said with a smile. “I think that we need to meet this man and shake his hand because having you settle down is long overdue; even if it isn’t with Charlie, who is going to be devastated by the way.”

“I think Charlie will get over it,” Harry said with a smile. It felt very wrong to be smiling and sharing jokes when Neville was dead, though it didn’t seem to have sunk in for Ron and Hermione at all, almost as if it wasn’t real for them. 

“I think we should so something for Neville,” Hermione said, “Andromeda too, to remember them,” she added decisively, “they deserve to be remembered.” 

“I don’t know about Andromeda but I think I know what Neville would like,” Harry said with a smile, remembering the man’s love for Herbology. “When this is all over we should plant a rare plant in the grounds of Hogwarts in his name, something that will be there for a while that the students can talk about and why it was planted in the first place.” 

“I think that he would like that,” Hermione said with a smile. “Teddy, what do you think your grandmother would have liked?” she asked, thinking that it would be nice to ask the nine year old his opinion seeing as he had been raised by her for the past nine years. 

“I think she would just like to be buried next to my mum,” Teddy said quietly, as if he thought his idea might be ridiculously stupid. “She didn’t like very much fuss to be made.” 

“Then that is exactly what we’ll do,” Harry said decisively. Whatever Teddy wanted or needed to do for his Grandmother, to say goodbye and to deal with her loss then they would do it for him. 

Their attention was suddenly drawn to the bottle of lemon juice as it skidded across the table on its own towards Rose who was giggling as it came towards her. Neither Ron nor Hermione were quick enough to stop it as the bottle hit a groove in the table and tipped over, spilling everywhere, including all over Rose. 

“You’ve all this to look forward to,” Hermione said with a small sigh and a fond smile to Harry who still had Teddy in his lap as she picked Rose up out of her high chair, “only you’ll have double the trouble,” she added with a smile before she left the room with Rose on her hip to change her out of the lemon soaked clothing. 

“Least you’ll have your mystery man to help,” Ron said giving Harry a pat on the shoulder as he too got up, “who we are going to have to meet soon,” he added as he began to clear up the remnants of breakfast.

“I don’t think it’ll be long,” Harry said, stroking Teddy’s hair rather affectionately; he missed Steve like mad and was already wishing he was here. He really didn’t think it would be long until he and Steve were reunited not only because he missed him but also because he knew that Steve wouldn’t want to be away from him very much longer either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to leave me a comment and tell me what you think. 
> 
> Also you can find me on facebook, my name is Strawbie Girrl ... because facebook are idiots and I had to change my name several times for it to be accepted. There is also a Youtube video for this story, just search for The Affliction of War in the search box on the site and it'll come up.


	21. The Funeral

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry attends the funeral.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please take note of the Authors note at the end of the chapter as I require your opinions. Please enjoy the chapter.

Draco, true to his word, came to see how Teddy was getting on soon after lunch; he had been escorted into the house by Kingsley just as Harry had been the night before so that he could get through the wards. Ron and Hermione were not on the same good terms with Draco as Harry was but there wasn’t exactly any where for them to go to avoid him. Neither Ron nor Hermione had been able to forgive the childhood rivalry, it was different for Harry because of the life bond their families now shared and he had decided that after almost dying there were bigger things to worry about. 

When the healer arrived with the Minister for magic, Teddy had been sitting on the floor in the living room with Rose, the thirteen month old little girl laughing and clapping as Teddy changed his hair different colours for her. The adults, trying to act as such and not devolve into squabbling adolescents, gathered in the living room to talk, Kingsley remaining with them for the moment as he needed to talk to Harry. 

“How is he this morning?” Draco asked, casting a glance over to Teddy, who had moved on to playing with Rose’s exposed toes, tickling them so that the little girl was laughing hysterically. The five of them taking their seats in the living room so that they could keep an eye on the two children as they played. 

Ron and Hermione were in a single armchair together, decidedly not looking in Draco’s direction, having decided that they were not going to acknowledge the fact that he was there. Harry had tried to talk to them about their prejudice against him some time ago, however, the conversation had ended in an argument and Harry had not broached the subject again, thinking that it wasn’t worth the hassle. If Ron and Hermione wanted to hate Draco then there wasn’t anything that Harry could do about it. 

“He was awake with nightmares a lot during the night,” Harry told Draco quietly, not wanting to disturb the game that his Godson was playing with his Goddaughter, “he seems better this morning, we made pancakes together and he seemed happy even.” 

“That’s good,” Draco said with a small smile as he looked fondly on his cousin. He really did like the boy, if he didn’t then he wouldn’t have taken such an interest in him as he was growing up. Teddy was family, though his father wouldn’t like to think so still; however, with Lucius locked up in Azkaban, Draco didn’t care what his father thought. “I take it that you will become his guardian now?” 

“I have already made the arrangements,” Kingsley said before Harry could confirm this one way or another. “I thought that it might be the case and thought I would help bypass some of the red tape for you. I believe that that young man has been through enough without the hassle of ending up an orphanage while the paperwork is put in order.” 

“Thank you,” Harry said gratefully. He truly didn’t know what he would have done if Teddy had been taken away from him, he never wanted to let the young boy out of his sight again; he had a lot of time to make up for after being such a workaholic over the past few years that he had hardly seen him much at all. 

“That was only one of the things I needed to discuss with you,” Kingsley said, knowing that the next subject of discussion would not be as pleasant as knowing that Teddy would be able to stay with Harry. “I take it that Harry has updated you on everything that has been going on?” Kingsley asked, glancing over to Ron and Hermione, who nodded in confirmation. 

“I told them this morning,” Harry said, “everything,” he added knowing that this was more or less the truth, he had told them all the important parts at least and anything else they either didn’t need to know or it was too dangerous for them too. The last thing he wanted was for them to be targeted and put in danger because he had told them too much.

“That makes this a lot easier,” Kingsley said with a small sigh. “I have made the arrangements for the funeral of Neville Longbottom to take place tomorrow, his name will also be added to the memorial at Hogwarts. I believe his bravery deserves to be memorialised there, it seemed wrong that he was not listed when he fought so bravely.” 

“Thank you,” Harry said, knowing that this would have made Neville happy. He also knew that Neville’s parents would have been so proud of their son if they had been sane enough to know him. “Kingsley, I know it might take a lot, if it’s even possible, but could his parents be there? Draco, maybe you could pull a few strings…” 

“I will do anything I can,” Draco said at once, knowing that he wouldn’t deny Harry such a simple request. Neither Frank nor Alice were in much of a state to go anywhere and it was almost certainly not worth the effort it would take to get them there but Draco could understand why Harry wanted this and he would do everything in his power to see that it was done. 

“We’ll be there,” Hermione said, knowing that neither herself nor her husband could miss this, Neville had been their friend and his death still didn’t seem real to them. She was hoping that by going to the funeral that she could come to terms with the fact that he was gone. 

“I am going to have to make sure that those meant to be in safe houses are protected. A lot of Auror’s are going to have to be there,” Kingsley mused, wondering just how many he could spare, though he knew that a lot of the Auror’s would want to be there themselves anyway. Neville had once been an Auror, even though he hadn’t lasted more than a few years, he had still been a friend to many of them. 

“Will you tell Steve and the others, just in case they want to come and pay their respects?” Harry requested, thinking that they would want to at least have the option of going. He knew that the Avenger’s hadn’t known Neville much at all but he still wanted them to have the choice, he didn’t have the right to remove that choice from them. Harry wasn’t entirely sure that he was ready to actually see Steve just yet but he knew that he wanted to have him there regardless; he missed his boyfriend and he knew that he needed to apologise to him. He hadn’t exactly treated him very fairly when he had stormed out. 

“I will make sure that the message gets to them,” Kingsley said with a nod of his head, secretly rather pleased that Harry had thought to ask for the Avengers to be told about the funeral. He thought that it was a wonderful idea that they would be able to come and say goodbye and it also meant that Harry wanted to see Steve. The Minister for magic was very pro this relationship, it was exactly what Harry needed. 

“I’ll make the arrangements at St Mungo’s to make sure Longbottom’s parents are able to be there too so you don’t have to worry about that,” Draco said, placing a hand on Harry’s knee as a show of comfort to him. It was clear that Harry was over thinking everything in the way that he tended to do and would need their support. 

Neither Ron nor Hermione missed this show of affection from Draco and the two of them shared a rather concerned look with one another. They didn’t think that Draco deserved a man as good as Harry, not after everything he had done in his life. When the two had slept together Hermione had been the first one to step in and help Harry see reason, Harry and Draco were much better as a platonic friendship in her mind. She didn’t even like that he was Harry’s soul healer, but there was nothing she could do about that. 

“Oh and before I forget,” Kingsley said, realising that this might not have been the best time for this but he didn’t know when else was going to be a better time. “You had a delivery at your office.” These deliveries had been happening for the past month or so, a few to Harry’s residence and a few to his office at the Ministry. 

The fact that these deliveries had managed to get through all of the protective wards and enchantments meant they were not meant to harm Harry; however, the devotion of whomever was sending them was on a creepy level. Whoever it was knew what Harry liked and it was almost as if they were trying to woo him. 

“I did, again?” Harry asked with confusion. The few gifts and bouquets of flowers that he had been receiving for the past few months had been peculiar, there was never a note or any form of explanation as to who they were from but Harry had an inkling that they were all from the same person because they all had the same theme to them, lillies. Having a few obsessional fans was all par for the course really but Harry had truly thought that, whoever this person was, they would have given up by now. He had never been overly concerned about it, it wasn’t as if it was doing any harm. 

“Yes, shall I bring it here or dispose of it?” Kingsley asked; he was aware of the issues that Harry had been having with his admirers. Kingsley had very little sympathy for this aspect of Harry’s life as he believed that was almost entirely Harry’s own doing but it was something that Harry didn’t need to deal with right now. 

The Minister for Magic would do a lot for Harry, however, the young man’s promiscuous behaviour was not something that he thought wise, this by product of that wasn’t something that he could deal with. Not unless whomever was sending the items started to threaten Harry; it was something the famous wizard was going to have to handle on his own. 

“I’ll swing by the office and grab it when I collect my things,” Harry said with a sigh, realising that now was as good a time as ever to talk to Kingsley about quitting his job. He didn’t like to dwell too long on the fact he had fans, it wasn’t something that he was entirely comfortable with and he really wasn’t comfortable with the gifts that he kept being sent or the fact that they seemed to know exactly what he liked when it came to flowers and sweet treats. 

“Collecting your things?” Kingsley asked with an intrigued look on his face. “Are you planning on leaving us, Harry?” This was a shock to the Minister, to Draco too; only Ron and Hermione had known that he was thinking of quitting his job, the other two looked utterly shocked. Draco and Kingsley knew just how much of a workaholic that Harry was, neither had thought that he would ever give up his job for anything. 

“Yes,” Harry said, sounding very sure of himself and he felt it too. “I think we can both agree that I am not going to be of any use as an Auror from now on. I’ll happily consult from time to time but I think that my family needs to come first.” 

Harry had spent most of the previous night thinking it over, he knew that he was making the right choice with this. He didn’t want to be in the line of fire anymore, he had three lives depending on him and a boyfriend who loved him. He didn’t want to continue to put himself in danger and therefore put his family at risk. 

“I think you deserve a quiet life,” Kingsley agreed, smiling at Harry happily. He knew that it was time that Harry found a life for himself, it was long over due. It had been the whole point of sending him away to America, to show him that there was life outside of work. Of course it hadn’t worked out exactly how Kingsley had thought but it had worked nonetheless. “I’ll have that particular paperwork drawn up too and make a note of certain files that you could consult on but I believe that the majority of that could even be done in the comfort of your own home.” 

“That would be greatly appreciated,” Harry said gratefully, thinking that it would be a lot easier, especially when he had the newborn twins to deal with, just to have his workload sent via owl to his home. It also meant that he would have more time to so spend with Steve. That was, if Steve still wanted to be with him. After the argument they had had following Teddy’s rescue, he had walked out and just not come home; it worried Harry that Steve might not want him back after that. 

\--------------------------x

Preparing for Neville’s funeral the next day was a silent affair. No one really said much to one another as they dressed in their smartest clothing, black dress robes for the boys and formal dresses for the girls and Teddy had even turned his hair black for the sombre occasion, though the nine year old was looking remarkably like Harry today as his eyes remained a brilliant shade of emerald green. 

The mood was a sombre one as Harry took Teddy in his arms in a tight hug, preparing to summon the Knight bus for them so that they could travel safely to where Neville had requested that he be buried. Seeing as he had formerly worked as an Auror, it was a requirement that a last will and testament be placed on file as well as letters to those closest to you in case of your untimely death. Harry had wanted to apperate, which certainly would have been easier, however Draco had already said that he shouldn’t be doing that, advice that he hadn’t really listened to but he knew he had to because otherwise he was going to hurt his babies. 

Neville had wanted to be buried on a hill top close to his family home; apparently there had been a tree there that he had played in as a child, building a tree house there, which he had used to escape his grandmother quite frequently. His Will had also requested that his parents join him there if he died first, wanting to be with them in death as he had never had the chance to be with them during his life. 

Ron and Hermione were running a little behind as Rose had spilt juice all down her front and needed to be changed so Harry had taken Teddy and gone ahead of the others, wanting to make sure that everything was running smoothly. Harry had to admit that the place that Neville had chosen to be buried was stunningly beautiful, he could imagine just how beautiful the sunset would be from up here. It was the perfect resting place for Neville, who had always been so calm and together. 

Half a dozen silver chairs had been laid out on the grass, the sun making them shine brightly. A table had been positioned beneath the tree and from memory, Harry knew that this would be where Neville’s body would be placed. It was painful to think that the last funeral he had attended had been Dumbledore’s. 

It was another thing that Harry couldn’t help but feel guilty about; out of all the people who had died, usually because of him, he had never attended their funerals. Not even Remus’ nor Tonks’; he had also been suspiciously absent from Fred’s too, all because he couldn’t face it. He didn’t even want to be here, though he knew that he had owed it to Neville; after all, his friend had died saving Teddy’s life. It was one thing that Harry just never felt brave enough to face, the funerals of those that he loved. 

He felt entirely numb as he moved through the crowds of people, greeting those that greeted him; though he was paying very little attention to whom he was speaking to because he knew that if he did, then he was going to break down and cry, something he couldn’t do, not while Teddy clung to him as tightly as he was. It wasn’t until Harry caught a flash of blue hair that he started paying any attention to anything that was going on around him. Teddy was next to him and hadn’t left his side since they arrived and there was only one other person with blue hair that he knew of and it made his heart beat a little faster at the thought. 

Sure enough, at the very back of the congregation of witches and wizards that had gathered to pay their respects to Neville, stood not only Steve, Clint and Natasha but also Tony and Bruce, who had clearly flown all the way to England just for this. Harry caught his boyfriend’s eyes and smiled at him, grateful for the fact that he was there; Steve smiled back kindly, giving a small wave with his hand but making no move to come towards him. 

It was rather sweet to see them all standing there in a line, none of them really knowing what to do with themselves and looking a little lost, none of them in their comfort zone. All the men were in black suits with black shirts and ties. Natasha was in a well tailored black dress and heels that showed off her curves beautifully, and none of them looked at all out of place here, even though they were dressed in muggle attire. It looked like they were just meant to be there. Though it was rather amusing to realise that Clint had apparently refused to be completely unarmed and had his bow and arrows attached to his back.

“I thought that you would appreciate them being here,” a voice said in his ear and Harry turned to see Kingsley stood just behind him. The large black man looked very sombre today, lacking his usually brightly coloured robes, he was wearing a dark navy blue as a sign of respect. 

“Yes, thank you,” Harry said, unable to believe that the Minister had been so considerate of his feelings. He had asked for the Avengers to be told but he was amazed that they had been able to attend. He hadn’t expected for the small group of extraordinary muggles to have been permitted to attend the wizarding funeral seeing as it was very much a wizarding event. He wasn’t even sure that it was safe for Tony to be here considering what had happened the last time he had been around magic. 

“It was actually Draco’s suggestion,” Kingsley said with a small smile. “If I didn’t know the history between the two of you then I would think that he was sweet on you.” The Minister hadn’t been sure that having the muggles here was a good idea; however, the youngest Malfoy had been rather insistent that it would be what Harry would want and after much debate, Kingsley had agreed. 

“Draco?” Harry questioned with amusement. Despite the fact that they had slept together the once there was nothing like that between them. “I highly doubt it, though it was considerate of both of you. Tony isn’t going to be affected by the magic is he? The last time anyone used magic close to him he almost died.” 

“We have taken the proper precautions for him, they are to all remain where they are, I was concerned that you might not have fully forgiven Mr Rogers,” Kingsley said, watching Harry very carefully for a reaction. There was a wall between them and the rest of the guests so that any magic would not have any affect on Tony, it wouldn’t stop them if they wanted to approach the wizards but Kingsley hadn’t told them that. 

“I think I forgave him about a minute after I left,” Harry said with a sigh. He glanced back over to where Steve and the others were standing and he knew that he had to go and see him, though he knew that wasn’t the only thing he wanted to do. Kingsley gave Harry a small smile as the Minister’s attention was attracted by someone else calling his name and he went to see where he was needed. 

“Ron,” Harry called, spotting that his best friends had now arrived too, and gesturing him and Hermione over towards him. “Come, I want you to meet someone,” he said, thinking that it was high time that his two best friends met his boyfriend; after al,l Steve was hugely important to him and therefore he needed to meet the other people that Harry knew he wouldn’t be able to live without. 

Hermione, carrying Rose on her hip, and Ron followed Harry over to where the five strangers were stood. They were all the subject of much speculation with the other guests, no one else knowing who they were or why they were there. Both Ron and Hermione looked a little sceptical about the five strangers but trusting Harry they made their way over. 

“What are you guys doing all the way over here?” Harry asked as he reached the Avengers, feeling a little nervous all of a sudden. Steve was stood between Clint and Tony, and looked just as nervous when he turned to look at Harry. After the argument they had had neither of them knew what to say to the other. 

“Oh, hi,” Steve said as if he hadn’t really noticed Harry before at all, he had sounded far too surprised to see him, and it made Harry quite sure that the supersoldier had been perfectly aware of exactly when he had arrived and where he was the whole time that he had been there. Harry was kind of touched that Steve was making the effort to allow him to time to come talk in his own time rather than force himself on him. Harry wasn’t sure why he was so surprised, Steve had always been very considerate of his feelings. 

“It’s good to see you, but we’ll let you talk,” Bruce said, herding Tony, Clint and Natasha a short distance away from Steve and Harry, knowing that the two of them needed a moment. “Come and find us later,” he added, as Teddy gave Clint a rather enthusiastic wave, which left Clint rather confused; he wasn’t sure why the small boy was doing that.

“I missed you,” Steve blurted out before he could stop himself, looking a little flustered as though he hadn’t expected to say that. He had seen Harry the moment he had arrived with Teddy hanging on one arm. He had only just managed to restrain himself, knowing that he needed to let Harry come to him. Steve had remained patient until he had seen that Harry was on his way over and he had just wanted to hold him in his arms again. 

“Teddy, why don’t you go and see Clint,” Harry suggested, thinking that it would be simpler if the little nine year old wasn’t here for this particular conversation. Also it looked like he really wanted to go and see the Avenger that had been the one to rescue him. Teddy beamed at this idea, running off towards the blue haired man as Ron and Hermione reached them. 

“Harry…” Steve went to say, glancing at the other two people that had just joined them somewhat warily. He really needed to talk to his boyfriend alone, without the audience, there was so much he wanted to say but he just didn’t know where to start and having these two standing looking at him curiously wasn’t helping matters. 

“Steve, these are my friends, Ron, Hermione and their daughter Rose. Guys, this is Steve, my boyfriend,” Harry introduced, leaning into Steve and smiling at being so close to him again. He didn’t miss how the super soldier put an arm around him instantly, with no hesitation, holding on to him rather tightly. It felt good. 

“It’s nice to meet you,” Steve said with a smile, offering his free hand out for Ron to shake; the redhead took it, though he looked a little uncertain at doing so. Ron hadn’t missed how possessive Steve had become of Harry the instant he had come close. He wasn’t convinced that an over protective and possessive boyfriend was what Harry needed. He had his many fans and admirers for that. 

“Seriously, Harry, you have a thing for blonds,” Ron said with a laugh, trying to make light of the situation, as he looked Steve up and down, never having seen such a large man that was fully human. He wasn’t sure that he entirely liked this man, however, he was willing to give him a chance if Harry was introducing him as a boyfriend to them. Aside from Draco, neither Ron nor Hermione had ever met any of the other men in Harry’s life. 

“Did you study at the Salem Institute, the American wizarding school?” Hermione asked, wanting to change the subject before Steve asked difficult questions about what Ron had said. She knew her husband meant well but sometimes, or in fact most of the time, he had a tendency to put his foot in his mouth and say the wrong thing. 

“The Salem Institute?” Steve asked, looking confused, “No, I studied at a regular school in Brooklyn.” He had no idea what the place was that the bushy haired woman had mentioned but he knew it was nowhere near where he had grown up. It had given him a warm feeling in his stomach when Steve had realised that Harry was taking the opportunity to introduce him to his friends, something that Steve considered a very positive step in their relationship despite the argument they had had and the two nights they had spent apart. 

“Guys, he’s a muggle,” Harry said with a small smile. He wanted his friends to know Steve well, after all he saw himself spending the rest of his life with Steve, he wanted for those closest to him to know each other. 

“He can’t be, not if you’re pregnant,” Hermione blurted out before she really had a chance to think about it. She regretted it the moment she had spoken, not wanting to make things complicated for Harry, especially not when he seemed to happy. Harry had known that Hermione was bound to have the same reaction as Draco and he couldn’t help but laugh a little. 

“I’ve been over that with Draco, he’s not just a regular muggle, he’s special,” Harry said, looking up at his boyfriend with an adoring expression on his face, which Ron and Hermione took as their cue to leave.

“We’ll leave you to it,” Ron said, putting his arm around his wife and daughter, guiding them away from the clearly loved up couple. There was only a matter of minutes before the funeral started and it was clear that Harry and Steve needed those few minutes to talk or use their tongues on another way that was much more pleasurable, but that Ron definitely didn’t need to witness. 

“We’ll see you afterwards,” Hermione said quickly before Ron could drag her away, giving Steve and Harry a small nod, and allowing her husband to usher her away, over towards the front of the seats. She already had several questions that she wanted to ask; however, there would be plenty of time for that later. She very much doubted that this was the last time that she would meet Steve. 

“I missed you too,” Harry said, wanting to make it clear to his boyfriend that it hadn’t been a one way street. The only way he had managed to sleep at all the two nights that they had spent apart was because Teddy had crawled into bed with him and kept him company. Harry felt as if he never wanted to be parted from Steve again. 

“You should have come to me,” Steve said, turning so that he and Harry were now face to face. He had hated being away from Harry, their unborn children too, not when every ounce of him was screaming at him to be close to him and protect him. he had jumped at the chance to come to the funeral today just for the chance to see Harry again and make things right between them. 

“I wanted to,” Harry said truthfully, wanting it clear that it had taken a lot for him to stay away, “I just needed some time. I was going to come and see you tonight if you hadn’t come today,” he explained. 

“And you’ve forgiven me for keeping you out of that fight?” Steve asked, wanting to clear the air between them completely. Tony couldn’t come any further into the funeral and the others had agreed to stay with him; however, Steve wanted to sit beside Harry and comfort him. He felt as if it was his place to do so. 

“I never really had to forgive you, Steve,” Harry admitted, feeling a little sheepish about this. He knew that he had over reacted, that he had reacted without thinking it through, blaming Steve when really it was himself that he had been angry at. “I knew you did it to keep me safe. I was never really angry at you for that, just angry that Neville had to die and I couldn’t do anything about it.” 

“I just wanted to protect you,” Steve told him, wanting to be clear on that, “you and the babies. I didn’t want to see anyone hurt but I couldn’t let you go and…” Steve never got a chance to finish his sentence as Harry’s lips found his, kissing him for all he was worth. 

“Steve, it’s okay,” Harry said, feeling a little breathless and lightheaded from their kiss. “I understand why you did it; I would never have agreed to stay out of rescuing Teddy, I just couldn’t see past getting him safe…” Harry said, glancing over to where the nine year old was talking a mile a minute to Clint who looked utterly confused. Natasha on the other hand looked far too amused at the whole thing. “It could have been me and the babies being buried today,” Harry said, his voice trembling a little at the thought of that, that his children might have been killed before they had even had a chance to live.

“But you’re fine,” Steve said, pulling Harry into his arms, and holding him close; the words were to reassure himself as much as anything because the thought of losing Harry and their unborn children was enough to make him want to lash out and hurt someone. He didn’t want to dwell on those dark thoughts for too long at all. “Let’s go play our respects to Neville, show our thanks for helping to save Teddy.”

“Yeah,” Harry agreed, glancing over to see that the Minister was motioning to him that they were about to start. “First though I think we might have to rescue Clint, Teddy has taken him hostage,” he added in amusement as the nine year old flung his arms around Hawkeye’s waist and hugged him. 

\-------x 

Steve sat in the front row with Harry and Teddy for the duration of the funeral. The other Avenger’s remained at the back where the wall that Kingsley had erected to keep the magic from Tony would shield them all and also so that Tony wouldn’t have to stand on his own. Harry sat in the middle of his two favourite men and held hands with both of them the entire way through. He needed the support that it gave him to hold on to Steve and Teddy. 

Saying goodbye to Neville was harder than Harry had thought it would be and it was a firm reminder of why he had never gone to the funeral’s of any of the other people he had known that had died. However having Steve there with him helped massively, without him he would have been a blubbering wreck by the time that it was over; however, he remained strong. It was mainly for Teddy that he did this, he didn’t want his Godson to see him completely break down. 

“Can we just get out of here?” Harry asked in a whisper to Steve as people started getting up and talking to each other; he knew it was a bit rude to just get up and leave so quickly, but he wasn’t sure how much more he could take. He hadn’t even had the chance to speak to Draco and thank him for taking the time and making the effort to arrange for Frank and Alice to attend their son’s funeral. He genuinely couldn’t believe he had made it happen. 

“Sure,” Steve agreed, glancing over to where the other Avengers were gathered. “Let me just let the others know we’re going,” he requested. Harry sighed a little but nodded his agreement; he knew he should probably let Hermione and Ron at least know where he was going too, because he was certain they would want to talk to him more about Steve. 

They were only about half way towards the Avengers when Harry spotted what looked to be a few late arrivals, but as they got closer he recognised a few familiar faces. “Damn it,” he muttered under his breath, picking up the pace a little. The last thing he wanted right now was to have to talk to the press. “Steve, please look after Teddy for me,” Harry requested icily. 

“Harry… where are you going?” Steve asked, taking Teddy under one arm and holding him close to him as he watched his pregnant boyfriend head off towards these late comers. 

“What the hell do you think you’re doing here?” Harry raged, drawing his wand and pointing it directly at the blond woman, whose elaborate curls were styled neatly atop her head as always. Her jeweled spectacles glinting in the sunlight as she looked Harry up and down with interest. She was flanked by two other wizards, one with a camera and the other there just to take notes. None of them were welcome here. 

“I’m here only to document the passing of an extraordinary wizard,” Rita said, attempting to sound rather sickly sweet and innocent, as if butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth but Harry wasn’t fooled. He hated this odious woman with a passion, after everything she had done to him, including the atrocious biography she had written of his life after Voldemort's defeat, he had plenty of reasons to dislike her. 

“Bullshit, you just want another exclusive, as always,” Harry sneered at her. He wanted to keep Steve and Teddy well away from the horrible woman if he could. The last thing that he wanted was for all of them to end up on the front page of the Daily Prophet. 

“Well, a little catch up on the world’s favourite hero can never hurt,” Rita said, her acid green quick quotes quill at the ready. Harry felt like snapping the damn thing in half, all Rita was capable of was spewing lie after lie. “Tell me, now that Andromeda Tonks is dead, who will be raising young Teddy Lupin?” 

“You leave him out of it!” Harry snarled, his fists clenched in anger. Rita was pushing all of the wrong buttons today and very shortly he wasn’t going to be held responsible for his actions. 

“Ah so it is true that you are now the boy’s official guardian,” Rita said with a smile, taking Harry’s overprotective nature as confirmation that this was the case, carrying on with her questions with no idea just how close she was to danger. “Tell me, has he had his first transformation yet, being half werewolf can’t be easy for such a young child.” 

“Harry, love, introduce us,” Steve said as he came over to them, only just in time too, as he grabbed hold of Harry’s wrist before it could be raised to punch the blond woman in the nose. Steve doubted very much that Harry would forgive himself for causing a scene at Neville’s funeral. 

“Rita Skeeter,” the reported said enthusiastically, holding her hand out to the super soldier, who instinctively took the hand to shake it, smiling at the woman that it was clear Harry felt no fondness towards. There was no chance that she had missed the way that Steve had spoken to Harry, and though Harry was sure that it had been intended as protective, it had potentially complicated matters considerably.

“Steve Rogers,” Steve introduced, not missing the way that Harry was glowering at her or that he had pushed Teddy behind them, shielding him from her. There was no way that Steve was going to let Teddy out of his sight after Harry had trusted him to keep an eye on the young boy. 

“So tell me all about how you two met,” Rita simpered, fluttering her eyes in Steve’s direction before looking him up and down; she could definitely see what Harry saw in this man. She gave the photographer to her side a nudge and he raised his camera and snapping a few pictures of them, which only made Harry angrier. 

“Absolutely not,” Harry said, grabbing Steve’s hand. He had wanted to keep them away from Neville’s funeral, but he had to think of his family first and so he now knew his priority was getting Steve and Teddy well away from the dreadful woman. “We’re leaving… now,” he said firmly, as the three of them headed back towards the other Avengers, Rita and the other reports hurrying along behind him. 

“We have a car,” Steve said quietly, a little alarmed by how urgently Harry was trying to get them away from the people he now thought were probably reporters. He was going to have to ask Harry why he had allowed himself to get so worked up by these people, reporters weren’t the nicest of people but Harry was usually so calm and composed. 

“I have a quicker way but I’m not supposed to because of the… you know,” Harry said, glancing over to the woman who was clearly still listen in to what they were saying. Draco had told him not to apparate anymore if he could help it and so far he hadn’t been able to reign this in, he had apparated several times since his appointment, too used to relying on this method of transportation. 

“No, we’re not taking any chances, not where they’re concerned,” Steve said in a whisper, “come on, the car is this way,” the super solider said, picking Teddy up and placing him easily on his hip so that the could move a little faster.

As Harry, Steve and Teddy had started making their way towards them, the rest of the Avenger’s had been on high alert. They might not have known what was going on but they could see very clearly just how angry Harry had become and the worried look on Steve’s face as the nine year old clung to him. 

Clint was the first one to spot the blond woman following them, clearly shouting questions after them, a photographer snapping pictures as they tried to leave. He drew his bow and arrow and aimed it at the witch pursuing his friends. The others had berated him for bringing his weapons to the funeral, however he was the one laughing now as he defended his friends. 

The rest of the guests who had gathered to pay their respects to Neville were gaping in horror as this strange man drew his weapon on the unsuspecting reporter. Everyone present could agree that Rita Skeeter probably deserved it but now was neither the time nor the place for such violence. Kingsley came forward, wanting to deal with the situation before it got much more out of hand however Harry reached Clint first. 

“Don’t,” Harry whispered to him, knowing that as much as he wanted her dead, Clint couldn’t kill her, not when all she had done is annoy him, “she isn’t worth it, go, I’ll deal with this,” he said, glaring at the odious woman with pure hatred. Clint took a step behind Harry, lowering his bow but he didn’t leave him, not wanting to risk putting him in harms way. Harry glanced over his shoulder, ensuring that Tony was well out of the firing line before drawing his wand on Skeeter who was looking horrified at what was happening. 

Harry might have still been wearing the bracelets that stabilized his magic but that didn’t mean he wanted to take any chances, not where Tony was concerned. Rita Skeeter really wasn’t worth hurting Tony over, though he did think that he was going to rather enjoy cursing her. “Stupefy!” Harry shouted, putting a lot of emotion behind the word and taking a great deal of pleasure in watching the shocked look on her face as she flew backwards and away from the group. 

“Remind me never to piss you off,” Clint said as he took Harry by the arm and began to drag Harry away from the shocked crowd that clearly didn’t know what to think about what was going on. A bemused and in pain Rita Skeeter having to pull herself up from the ground, no one offering to help her. 

“No one comes after my family,” Harry said, casting an apologetic glance over his shoulder to Ron and Hermione who were desperately trying to shield Rose from what was going on. He caught sight of Draco too but harry didn’t know what to make of the look on his face, it seemed to be half concern half amusement. 

“Clearly,” Clint said as they reached the car where the others had gathered, Teddy still clinging on to Steve who wasn’t about to let the nine year old go any time soon. 

“Ready to hit the road Casanova?” Tony asked, smiling at Harry who couldn’t help but give him a small smile back, though he wasn’t sure that he appreciated the nickname and he was sure that Steve didn’t either judging by the scowl on his face. 

“Yes,” Harry said decisively, “back to the safe house, I have a plan,” he added, looking at Steve decisively. It had been in the moment that Rita Skeeter had come after him and his family, sniffing around Steve like there was a money making exclusive to be had. Of course there was but that just made the decision easier. Harry wanted out, he wanted something that resembled a normal life and he wanted that with Steve and Teddy, not to mention their unborn twins. He knew just how to get it too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want your opinion. I have ideas and plans for this story spanning over the next three years (in the story) to include the events of Ironman 3, Thor 2 and Captain America Winter Soldier. My question to you, my lovely readers, would you like it all in this story with a few time jumps here and there OR would you like it in a separate story sequel? There is the question of if you want to see that far or not but again please voice your opinions in a comment.


	22. The Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry realises his priorities.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this took a little longer than it should have, however I do have three active fanfictions at the moment so please bear with me. I am writing as quickly as possible but don't want the quality of the work to suffer at all. I really hope you enjoy this chapter.

The Affliction of War

Chapter Twenty Two 

“No,” Steve said, shaking his head. He didn’t like this idea, not one bit. It involved his pregnant boyfriend going off into a potentially dangerous situation and that was something that he couldn’t get on board with. “I don’t like it,” he added, giving Harry a very stern look. If what they had together was ever going to work then they needed to talk about things, especially if something was bothering them and this idea was certainly bothering Steve. 

After leaving Neville’s funeral with the other Avengers, the two of them had gone back to the safe house where Steve and the others were staying, so that they could talk some things over; however, Harry had requested that Clint look after Teddy for a while so that he could talk to Steve more privately. Steve deserved to hear what he had planned before the others because he was the one who was going to disagree with it the most, Harry had been sure of it. 

“Steve…” Harry said with a sigh. He had known that the super soldier wouldn't like it but there wasn’t really many other choices, not if he really wanted to separate himself from this mission and even this way of life. Harry was hoping that he would be able to convince his boyfriend that this was the best course of action before he pitched his idea to the others. Harry wanted to make sure that he had Steve on his side first. What had happened to Neville had been an eye opener; he didn’t want to die before he had really had the chance to live.

The two of them were sat on the sofa together in the living room, every door closed, though Harry hadn’t put any spells up to stop eavesdropping, he hoped that the others would have enough respect for them not to listen into their conversation. Even Tony, who had watched them have sex, would have some level of respect for them; at least Harry hoped he would. There was no physical contact between him and his super soldier as Harry needed this conversation to be serious, with neither of them getting distracted by soft touches that could lead to so much more. 

“Don’t, Harry,” Steve said firmly, “I’m never going to be okay with you putting yourself at risk like this,” he said, hating the idea the more he thought about it. Harry meant everything to him, together they had Teddy to take care of and that didn’t even factor in that Harry was carrying their twins in his belly. He knew the serum made him feel stronger than was normal but he couldn’t help that, Harry either had to accept it or what they were trying to do together wasn’t going to work. 

“I’m trying to explain that I don’t want to put myself at risk any more,” Harry argued. He really didn’t want to fight with Steve over this but if the super soldier wasn’t going to listen to him then that was exactly what was going to happen. Harry didn’t want to fight anything anymore, not the Dark Wizards, not his boyfriend, no one. “If I do this…” 

“If you do this then you are putting yourself in danger unnecessarily,” Steve said angrily; he was trying not to lose his cool over this but he cared for Harry far too much to watch him do anything reckless. Even if Harry hadn’t been pregnant he would have reacted the same way, he just didn’t want to lose him.

Harry could see why Steve was acting this way; however, he just needed to make Steve see that this was the way out for him. “But it’ll be done then, my part in this mission will be over, if I do this then I can walk away from it. This was never my fight, I know that, Loki is not a problem for the wizarding world. You guys have stopped him before and can do it again. If I hand over the sphere to you then Loki won’t need me anymore.” 

“But it still involves you going and getting it,” Steve said, he still wasn’t okay with this, not even a little bit but he could see what Harry was getting at; he could see what Harry was trying to do and appreciated that he was trying to end his role in this, but that didn’t mean he thought that this was a good idea. “There are so many things that could go wrong and I won’t be with you,” he added with a sigh. 

Harry knew that this had been the main issue, Steve wouldn’t be there to protect him if something went wrong and that was why he was so against it. “Because you’re a muggle,” Harry tried to explain, not wanting Steve to think for a moment that he didn’t want him there, “you wouldn’t be allowed into the Ministry of Magic but I wouldn’t be alone. I’d take someone I trusted with me. I’m hoping Ron will come, I’ve fought with him before and I trust him.” 

Steve nodded, understanding that there were rules and regulations in Harry’s world that couldn’t be broken; however, he was still going to make sure that Harry was protected no matter what. “Would you trust that Draco man to go?” Steve asked. “At least then if something goes wrong he can heal you.” 

“I would trust him,” Harry said without hesitation. He had trusted Draco with his life countless times now; friendship was probably the wrong word to use for what the two of them shared, in fact there wasn’t really a word for it at all, but they trusted one another. “If that’s what it’s going to take for you to let me do this, then I’ll take Draco with me too, but I want this over so we can be together, be a family.” On this Harry was determined, he was going to live his life for himself, not for anyone else, he wanted to actually be happy rather than pretending to the world he was while he ran himself into the ground with sex and alcohol. 

“I want that too,” Steve said with a sigh, pulling Harry into his arms. Harry automatically slid on to his boyfriend’s lap and allowed himself to be held there. He felt so comfortable and at ease there that he never wanted to get up but he knew that there were things that had to be done, things that were his responsibility. 

“Then what’s the problem?” Harry asked in a soft whisper, speaking into the expansive, muscled chest of his lover. “I do this and we can be,” he said, placing a soft kiss to the centre of Steve’s chest, resting one hand above Steve’s heart where he could feel the beating of the older man’s heart. 

Holding Harry close to him, Steve placed a soft kiss on the mass of raven hair that was, as usual, sticking up all over the place. “The problem is that I love you and watching you put yourself at risk is very difficult for me,” he explained and he felt Harry nod his head against his chest. 

“It isn’t any easier for me,” Harry whispered gently with a sigh. This had become true since he had found out about the twins; it had taken a while for his brain to kick in but since Draco had told him for certain that he was pregnant it was getting harder and harder for Harry to live the life he had had before he had gone to America. 

The idea that he might go back to being an Auror, chasing and fighting dark wizards, it was terrifying to him. The thought of going out, drinking, taking home a man or a woman that he took his fancy to, just unthinkable. Harry honestly had never considered that he would be able to find any form of normal happiness after everything that he had been through, however, it was becoming apparent that he just hadn’t met the right person until Steve. 

\------------x 

When Kingsley arrived just after lunchtime, Harry asked that he roundup Ron, Hermione and Draco before they went over the plan. The Minister for Magic had spent the morning cleaning up the mess of the funeral, trying to reign in Rita Skeeter. He hadn’t been able to stop her from printing the article that she wanted as she had freedom of speech but he had managed to convince her not to cause a fuss about being thrown back by a spell or threatened with a bow and arrow. 

It took a little while for him to gather the other three that Harry wanted to speak to and convince them to come with him to the Avengers’ safe house. Ron and Hermione in particular had been a little reluctant, especially seeing as they had to bring Rose with them. However, when it came to Harry they couldn’t just abandon him to his fate, not now he was trying to make a life for himself. If it needed to happen then they would help to tie up a few loose ends so that he could do that with Steve. 

It was made very clear that no magic was to be used as they all sat down together around a large table, Harry at the head of it with Steve by his side. Tony, Bruce, Clint and Natasha were sat on one side, not knowing what to say, all of them trying to figure out the other people present in the room. Across from them, Draco, Ron, Hermione and Kingsley sat; they were all a little on edge, but Draco was particularly tense as he didn’t really get along with either of the two Weasleys. 

Teddy was sat at the table too, sitting bolt upright in his chair and watching his godfather intensely, wanting to show that he really was grown up enough to be included. But he was having trouble holding his serious expression, while Rose was pulling faces at him from where she was sat on her father’s lap. He was somewhat besotted with the little girl, technically his fifth or sixth cousin, or something along those lines. The pureblood lines were rather tricky to keep track of. 

“Why are we here?” Hermione asked, looking to Harry. She didn’t want to be here and she certainly didn’t want Rose to be here. She loved Harry, he was family, and she wanted him to have what she and Ron had but she wasn’t going to sacrifice her life or the lives of those she loved for it.

“Because I need your help,” Harry told them honestly. He reached beneath the table so that he could hold Steve’s hand, needing his boyfriend’s support to get this out. He had several faces turned to stare at him, look to him to lead them all and he felt rather uncomfortable doing it. Anyone would think that Harry would have been used to it after so many years of being expected to destroy Voldemort followed by being an Auror, even Head Auror but he still hated it now just as much as he had done back when he was a teenager. 

“Mate…” Ron said, sounding a little sceptical about this. He was all for helping his friend but he had promised Hermione when they found out that they were expecting their first child that he wouldn’t do anything stupid and reckless any more. This sounded as if it was going to be just that. 

“I know,” Harry interrupted before Ron could say any thing else; he knew that his best friends might be fairly resistant to helping him considering everything that they had been through but he had at least hoped he would be able to tell them what he had planned before they shot him down. 

“Let him talk,” Draco said, casting a glare to Ron and Hermione, thinking that regardless of what was going on between the two of them, Harry deserved to be able to have his chance to speak before they either agreed or disagreed to what he was proposing. 

“Shut up, ferret,” Ron snarled, not appreciating how Draco was talking to him. He didn’t understand why Draco was even here, this really was no business of his and Ron found himself feeling rather resentful about the fact Malfoy was there. 

“Enough,” Kingsley said firmly, “this is not the place for old school rivalries. I think we should all just let Harry speak,” the Minister said and the Avengers all nodded their agreement. None of them had really understood what was going on between the other people in the room or why they kept glaring at one another but it wasn’t their business and there were other things to discuss. 

“Let Harry tell us how he wants us to risk our lives,” Natasha said somewhat bitterly, sitting back in her chair and crossing her arms over her chest rather impatiently. 

“Actually,” Harry said before anyone else could say anything, “I only want Ron and Draco to come with me this time,” he said quickly, “but I have my reasons.” 

“No,” Hermione said stubbornly, “I don’t want Ron involved in this.” She was adamant on this point; they had all had enough of running off into danger when they were teenagers but now it was different, they had responsibilities, they had grown up, or they were supposed to have. 

“Let the man talk,” Bruce said calmly, giving Harry a small smile and a nod of his head. He respected Harry and wanted to hear what he had to say and could see how much he was struggling with everyone interrupting him. 

“Thanks,” Harry said a little nervously as he took a deep breath and squeezed Steve’s hand for support; the super soldier gave him a small smile in return, encouraging him to say what needed to be said. “There is something in the Ministry I need to go and get,” he said nervously. 

“Again? Harry, I don’t know if you remember but this didn’t work so well the last time,” Hermione said rather tiredly, giving her friend a rather unhappy frown. She didn’t think for a second that Harry would have been able to forget the outcome of that particular Ministry trip but she thought that he needed a little bit of a reminder now because the last thing she wanted was for her husband to go off with Harry and end up dead, just like Sirius. 

“I don’t think I could ever forget being the reason a man died, Hermione,” Harry said feeling rather hurt about her comment. He wasn’t sure how she thought that he could forget that, not when the guilt weighed him down every day, even now. 

“What is it you need from the Ministry?” Draco asked, getting rather angry on Harry’s behalf, simply because his so called best friends were being rather difficult about the whole situation. He didn’t think that Harry deserved such a backlash simply for asking for help; he rather thought that they should all be glad that Harry was doing so at last. 

“On one of my last missions, the one where Shane… we found a sphere,” Harry explained, not wanting to think about when his partner had died. Ron, Hermione and Draco all knew nothing about the artifact they had found and needed to be told before any of them agreed or disagreed to anything that he was suggesting. 

“The sphere, as we have discovered through various methods of research,” Bruce said, thinking that maybe Harry needed a little bit of help explaining all of this, “is one of eight; the one Harry found holds the power, the other seven, when brought together serve as the key to unlocking that power.” 

“One of the seven we have, “Clint said, “the eighth is the one Harry is on about.” He wanted to make it clear that they hadn’t been sitting around doing nothing, they had been able to procure a second sphere and keep it from Loki, they had been able to do something useful. 

“I don’t want to be part of this any more,” Harry said gently, “it isn’t my fight, the only reason I’m involved is because it’s my enchantments protecting the power sphere at the Ministry. I’m the only one who can retrieve it.” 

“Then why not just leave it there, leave it alone and whoever this man is that’s after it can never get it,” Hermione said, feel rather annoyed that she and her family were being dragged into this. She had had to give up her family once before to keep them safe, it had taken months, years to reconnect with her parents and remind them who she was, sometimes they still forgot but that had been her choice, to keep them safe. She wasn’t sure that she could do that again. 

“Because he’ll keep hunting me,” Harry said sadly, knowing that it was true, and it meant that not only him but Teddy, Steve and their unborn twins would constantly be in danger. Harry wasn’t going to stand for that, he wanted to end his part in this, he wanted out of this life once and for all, it was the only way he was going to protect his family. 

“Loki is our enemy,” Steve said, motioning towards the other Avengers, wanting to make it perfectly clear to Harry’s friends that he was backing this plan; he didn’t want his boyfriend involved in this anymore than Harry wanted to be a part of it. “Harry wants to hand the Sphere over to us. We are more than equipped to deal with Loki, and to protect the sphere from him.” 

“You’ve fought him before?” Ron asked and Steve nodded. “Well seeing as you did such a band up job the first time, why shouldn’t we trust you with this,” the redhead said sarcastically. “Nothing’s going to go wrong, of course, because this plan is foolproof.” 

“I haven’t even told you the plan,” Harry said with a sigh, hating how his friend were reacting to this, he hadn’t thought that their reactions would be this against him. Harry had thought that Steve would be the one that he had to worry about the most, but clearly he had been mistaken on that front. 

“Let me guess, us walking into the Ministry, into the department of mysteries and just taking it?” Ron asked, glaring at Harry while holding his daughter close to his chest. “Like it’s ever that simple. You want a normal life, then find a way to get it without doing anything ridiculously stupid. I’m not going to risk making Rose an orphan!” 

“I’m sorry, Harry,” Hermione said as she and Ron both got to their feet; they had both heard enough. “We love you, we really do, you’ll always be our friend and Godfather to Rose but we have to think of her now. As much as we love you, we love Rose more.” 

“That’s not very nice,” Teddy said suddenly. He had been so quite, simply listening to everything that was going on, determined to prove that he was a grown up and worthy of sitting at this table and hearing what was happening, however, watching his Godfather’s friends walk away was too much. “You’re supposed to be friends,” he added angrily, “friends help each other.” 

Harry’s initial reaction had been to be angry too. However, seeing Teddy react in such a way quickly helped him rein it in, making him think what he would do if the situation were reversed and it was Teddy that he was trying to protect, which essentially he was doing. 

“It’s fine,” Harry said, though this was more aimed at Teddy than at Ron and Hermione, who had both been rather startled at the sudden outburst from the nine year old. “Go,” Harry said quietly to his friends, “I understand why, it’s fine, I don’t begrudge you making this choice.” 

“I’ll come with you instead,” Teddy said, thinking that he would be the perfect substitute now that Ron had decided against helping Harry. 

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Harry said fondly, giving Teddy a smile as Ron and Hermione left the room, going to find a fireplace that they could use to floo back to their own safe house, abiding by the rule not to use magic around Tony. They might not have wanted to be involved, but they didn’t want to hurt anyone either. “If you come with me, who is going to stay and take care of Steve and Clint? Someone needs to make sure that they’re not causing any trouble.” 

Teddy frowned, looking between Steve and Clint and then back to Harry, seemingly rather confused. “But they’re all big and have a lot of muscles, they can protect each other; you’re littler, I need to protect you.” 

“Hopefully I’m going to have Draco to protect me,” Harry said, casting a glance over to Draco who nodded. “And maybe even Kingsley…” 

At this Kingsley looked a little uncomfortable. “Harry, I cannot officially sanction a theft from the Ministry, if it is to happen…” he started to say, unable to think of much he could offer that would be of much of a comfort. 

“You can’t come with us?” Harry asked, a little confused by this. His hand picked team to accompany him into the Ministry, that had consisted of Kingsley, Ron and Draco was slowly dwindling down to nothing but at least he still at Draco, which was something at least. Mainly because Steve had been the one to want him there. 

“No, officially I can’t be involved,” Kingsley explained, feeling a little hopeless in this case, however, he couldn’t be seen sanctioning something like this. He didn’t want to lose his job or have his authority called into question because he had allowed someone, even Harry Potter, to steal from the Ministry. 

“Unofficially?” Harry asked hopefully, thinking that perhaps the Minister had been hinting at something. Harry wasn’t sure how he was going to manage this without a little help from him. 

“Unofficially I will be able to request that the Ministry be completely vacant so that the wards surrounding the building can be maintained tomorrow evening. There will be no one there from six in the evening until six the following morning, it should give you plenty of time to get in and get the sphere.” 

“Harry can’t go without back up,” Steve said adamantly. He had almost been fine with his boyfriend going when he had a few people there with him; however, now that two of those people were no long going, Steve didn’t feel comfortable with it at all. 

“I’ll be there,” Draco said instantly. He wanted to make it clear that he wouldn’t be walking away from Harry, not like Ron and Hermione had. “He won’t be there without back up.”

“You are not enough,” Steve said bluntly. He wasn’t about to entrust the life of his boyfriend and two unborn child to a single man that was a healer and for all intents and purposes had no battle training.

“I might not be a trained Auror but that doesn’t mean I can’t fight,” Draco said indignantly. He didn’t like the implication that he couldn’t protect Harry, he would never let anyone or anything hurt him. He had put far too much time and effort into healing Harry and making him healthy to see it all go to waste now.

“Please don’t argue,” Harry pleaded. He didn’t want to see Draco and Steve butt heads like this and especially not over him. “I would have rather had Ron there too, but you heard him,” he pointed out, gesturing to the door through which Hermione and Ron had left. “It wasn’t fair to have ever asked him in the first place.”

“I don’t care about fair, I care about you and our children, Teddy included,” Steve pointed out rather angrily, looking a little surprised by his own words. Normally what was fair and right was top of his priority list, but it seemed that Harry really had swept in and turned his life upside down; not that he minded in the slightest.

“I know,” Harry said, taking Steve’s hand in his own, “and this is how we make us safe. This is the one last thing I have to do. And you heard Kingsley, no one will be there.”

“I’m not about to let anything happen to him,” Draco said firmly, determination in his eyes.

“We took away the wizards that Loki recruited,” Harry said, trying to reassure his boyfriend, “he shouldn’t be able to get access to the Ministry, I should be safe.” 

“Should be,” Steve said, not about to let that small fact slip by, “there is no guarantee that you will be.” It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Draco, he knew that the healer had helped Hary a great deal, Steve just didn’t think that one person was going to be enough.

“Is there any way Steve could come with us?” Draco asked, looking to the Minister. He didn’t think that it was the best idea to go without back up either to be honest; he had faith in his own abilities as a wizard, however, it had been a while since he had had to use defensive spells and he was a little rusty; not that he would ever admit this to Harry, or in fact anyone. 

Kingsley looked rather dubious, he didn’t much like the idea of a muggle, even one as special as Steve, going into the Ministry of Magic. “I wasn’t here, I didn’t agree to anything,” he said rather cryptically. Harry, however, knew what that meant, he had heard Dumbledore talk with such code many times before. 

“Is that a yes?” Steve asked, a little confused but still hopeful. Draco felt some slight relief that he and Harry would not be going in there alone. Though it wasn’t as if Steve could do much against wizards, but it would still be a comfort to have him there. 

“No,” Harry said giving his boyfriend a small squeeze of his hand, “the Minister hasn’t agreed or forbidden anything,” he clarified. Steve nodded to show that he understood what was going on. 

“If Steve is going can’t we go too?” Clint asked; he didn’t think that it was a great idea that Tony or bruce be included in this but he didn’t see why he and Natasha couldn’t go with them. To be honest he was a little curious about what the Ministry of Magic might look like. 

“As much as I can turn a blind eye to one muggle,” the Minister began with a frown, “I do not think that several would be so easily brushed aside if caught.” 

“Besides,” Harry said with a small smirk to Clint, “if Steve is coming with me and Draco, I’m going to need someone to look after Teddy for me,” he added and Clint suddenly looked horrified. 

Teddy on the other hand looked positively jubilant at the idea, “I can make my hair to match,” the nine year said with excitement, concentrating very hard and suddenly making his hair go an electric blue. Clint didn’t look overly impressed with this, looking to Natasha for help, but his friend was too busy trying to stifle a laugh to be of much help to him. 

“Banner and I will work on something to contain it,” Tony said, far too amused by the fact that Clint had been asked to babysit the nine year old boy. “What do you reckon Brucey? Twenty-four hours to come up with something?”

“I think it’s manageable,” Bruce said, sounding rather unimpressed, “as long as you never call me that again.”

“I don’t know,” Harry said with a grin, “I kind of like it.” 

“We’re not done here, I can’t watch the kid,” Clint said, finally finding his voice as it seemed that the meeting was wrapping up. 

Harry just smiled. “He likes you,” he said with a shrug of his shoulders, “and I can’t exactly leave him with Tony; who knows what he’ll teach Teddy if left unsupervised. Sorry Clint, until we get back he’ll be your responsibility.” 

“Don’t you want to spend time with me?” Teddy asked, looking a little hurt as his hair faded back to black and poor Clint looked utterly horrified that he had managed to upset the nine year old. 

“No, no, I want to, I just don’t think I’m the right person… okay fine, I’ll do it,” Clint said, realising that he was fighting a losing battle here. He just couldn’t stand the hurt look on the little boys face, it was crushing to him. Almost at once, Teddy’s hair flared back to electric blue and the nine year old was out of his chair and going to hug the archer with a huge smile on his face. 

 

\------------x

Despite being invited to stay for dinner, Draco had patients to tend to at St Mungo’s and Kingsley, well he was the Minister for Magic, there was always something that needed his attention. Tony, as always, offered to order something in for them all but Harry just gave him a withering stare and reminded him that they were in a safe house and they couldn’t exactly order a pizza. No muggle would ever be able to find them regardless and ordering anything magical just came with a whole set of other problems. 

Harry was astounded that none of the Avenger’s knew anything about cooking outside of the basics. They could all make pasta or various sandwiches, Steve and Clint could even boil an egg but anything else was beyond all of them. Harry had rolled his eyes and said that he would cook the dinner but Clint had to watch Teddy. 

After a small pout from the nine year old, Clint had agreed, much to the amusement of Natasha who was rather enjoying seeing Clint so uncomfortable, which was why she had gone with the two of them, at least that was the reason she was giving herself. Tony and Bruce had gone off to start work on devising something that would be able to contain the sphere but only after Tony had promised Bruce that he wouldn’t call him Brucey anymore. 

“You don’t have to stay with me you know,” Harry said to Steve as he started to unload things out of the fridge. He was careful to pick his ingredients, he had been lucky with his morning sickness the past few days and he wasn’t keen to see it come back anytime soon. “You could always do whatever it is you do when I’m not around?” 

“You mean worry about what you’re doing,” Steve said with a smile as he came up behind his boyfriend and gave him a quick kiss to the cheek. 

“What did you do before me?” Harry asked, dropping the food on to the counter before turning in Steve’s arms so that he could stare at his boyfriend; he would never get tired of looking at Steve that was for sure. 

“There was the War but that was before I went to sleep,” Steve mused, trying to think what his life was like before he had become Captain America. “Since waking up there has just been another battle, I haven’t really had the time to do anything other than try to figure out the world as it is now,” he explained with a shrug of his shoulders. He was just about getting to grips with all the changes in the world and he didn’t regret not really having his own life, he hadn’t really had a chance to find one for himself. 

“But you must have hobbies, things you enjoy doing?” Harry questioned as he snaked his arms around his boyfriend's waist. He found it hard to believe that Steve was simply Captain America, there must have been some of Steve Roger’s in there somewhere. That was the man that Harry cared for, not the super solider that everyone else loved, he wanted the man behind all of that. 

“I can draw,” Steve said, thinking that that was the kind of thing Harry meant and it was something that he had enjoyed doing once upon a time, not that he had had much time for that recently. “I used to do that before I became this…” he said, leaving the rest of that sentence unspoken, “and I suppose I work out a lot now…”

“Now we’re getting somewhere,” Harry said with a beaming smile, thinking about Steve’s love of drawing, it was something that he really wanted to see. “Would you draw me like one of your french girls?” he asked with a slight giggle; Steve, however, looked a little confused. 

“I don’t understand, I have never drawn a french girl,” Steve said with a frown, looking at Harry as if he were a little crazy. He had a feeling that it was some form of reference to something he had missed out on while he had been asleep. He had expected things like this from Tony but not from Harry, there were other things that confused him about Harry. 

At this, however, Harry couldn’t help but laugh even harder, finding the super soldier’s confusion rather adorable. He placed a soft kiss to his boyfriend’s lips while still smiling. “Don’t worry, it was a pop culture reference, remind me to take you to see the movie titanic one of these days.”

“I could draw you though,” Steve suggested, not willing to be away from Harry just yet, and although he hadn’t understood the reference, the idea of sketching Harry while he was cooking was appealing. Would give him a good excuse to watch his boyfriend closely if nothing else.

“You would?” Harry questioned. “I was joking but I think I’d really like that,” he said with a smile, “do you have stuff that you need?” 

“Oh, well not really,” Steve said unhappily, realising that he hadn’t had pencil or paper since he had been thawed out. He realised then that that was what he was missing in his life now; he had become Captain America entirely, he needed to reconnect with the man he had been before he had been injected with serum, he needed to be Steve Rogers. 

“Here, let me help with that,” Harry said, twisting himself so that he was out of his boyfriend’s embrace. He grabbed a spatula and a teaspoon, placing them on the counter side by side before withdrawing his wand from his pocket. Steve watched in fascination as with a wave of his wand and a funny sounding word the spatula transformed into a sketchpad; Harry repeated the process with the teaspoon, which promptly became a pencil. 

“That was… impressive,” Steve said with genuine awe. “Useful trick,” he said, picking up the pencil and rolling it between his fingers, looking at it closely as though he might be able to see the teaspoon that it had been only moments earlier.

“I’m full of useful tricks,” Harry said as he picked up what used to be a spatula, handing it over to Steve, who accepted what was now a pad of blank paper. “Watch this…” he said, turning and with another wave of his wand he started some of the vegetables chopping on their own. 

“Very impressive,” Steve said with a smile, watching in utter astonishment as a kitchen knife began to finely slice up some potatoes. 

“Means my hands are free to do this,” Harry said as he put his hands around the super soldier’s waist and grabbed his arse, squeezing it. He was grinning as Steve threw down the pencil and paper on to the side, the super soldier taking hold of him and picking him up with ease. Harry made a noise of surprise at being lifted in such a way, but was cut off from saying anything as he was placed on the counter, Steve pressing their lips together in a kiss. 

“Thought you two were making dinner,” Clint said, Teddy giggling from where he was perched on Clint’s back. Harry glanced over Steve’s shoulder and couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of the two blue haired boys grinning at them from the doorway, the older of the two supporting the nine year old in a piggy back. 

“Call it payback for last night,” Steve said, not bothering turning around, he could hear the nine year olds giggles and that was enough for him. 

“Point taken,” Clint said rather sheepishly, “give us a shout when the foods up,” he added before turning from the room and carrying Teddy away with him. 

“Do share,” Harry said with amusement as Steve began to kiss at his neck, though he kind of wanted to know what it was that Steve had seen the night before that had convinced Clint to leave them in peace. 

“Later,” Steve mumbled as his hands found their way underneath Harry’s t-shirt. Harry was never going to complain about feeling Steve’s hands on him, he was never going to protest about it either; they were in the kitchen and Teddy was roaming around the house somewhere but even that still didn’t make Harry want to stop. 

Steve pressed himself forward so that he was pushing his groin against Harry’s, both of them hard as Steve moved back up to press their lips together in a feverishly passionate kiss. It had been a while since they had been able to be close to one another like this, they might not have had privacy but they certainly had the time and they were together. 

“Steve,” Harry gasped as the older man's hands came up, bringing Harry’s t-shirt with them, breaking their kiss only to remove the item of clothing. 

“Is there time for me to make popcorn before the show really starts?” Tony asked in amusement, leaning one shoulder on the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest as he watched the other two men going at it. 

“Merlin, Tony!” Harry gasped as Steve pulled away from him with a groan. He could feel the older man getting a little angry that they had been interrupted. “Was spying on us with your cameras not enough?” 

“I’m in a foreign country with nothing to do, I need some entertainment,” Tony said with a smirk and a shrug of his shoulders. 

“You’re meant to be finding a way to contain the sphere,” Steve said rather testily as he lowered Harry down off of the counter, ensuring that he was on his own two feet before going to grab his t-shirt from where he had thrown it. 

“Like I would miss this,” Tony said with a smile, watching with keen eyes as Steve passed Harry his top, the younger man putting it on, feeling rather exposed. It had never bothered Harry before, being topless, in fact he was rather proud of his quidditch toned abs that had only become more defined as he trained as an Auror. However, now that he was pregnant, the extra layer that the clothing provided felt like a safety barrier almost, a layer of cotton that shielded his children from the rest of the world. 

“You thought we would let you watch?” Steve challenged angrily. He didn’t fail notice the way that Harry was so quick to cover up. He was feeling a lot more protective of Harry now and he really didn’t appreciate Tony’s insistence on perving over them. 

“Well you are in the kitchen where anyone could just walk in,” Tony pointed out in amusement. He really wasn’t worried about Steve or his so called super powers but he was rather aware of the knife chopping up vegetables on its own just behind the young couple. He wasn’t about to come into the room any further when Harry was so obviously using magic, not until he knew that it was safe for him to do so. 

“We were in our bedroom the last time you invaded our privacy,” Harry pointed out, moving around Steve to the cupboard where the pans were kept. He intended to make a potato Gratin to accompany some roast chicken portions, which he needed to put in the oven. In some ways Harry was rather glad of Tony’s interruption, if he hadn’t then he and Steve would have got far too carried away and the dinner would have taken a whole lot longer to prepare. 

“A bedroom in my tower that is wired with the best high tech security features for all our safety,” Tony said with a shrug, as if this was enough to excuse what he had done. He wasn’t about to tell either Harry or Steve that he had kept a recording of that particular tape for his own personal viewing whenever he fancied it. 

“Shame on you, Tony, taking advantage of a pregnant man,” Harry scolded as he took the chicken out of the fridge, placing it on the counter. This was the only part of the recipe that he was worried about, he wasn’t sure he was going to be able to stomach the raw chicken. The thought of it alone was making his stomach a little queasy. 

“Well how was I supposed to know you two would get all attached to each other and start reproducing?” Tony asked, seemingly rather uncaring that Harry was pregnant. “That wasn’t even possible the last time I read a book on basic biology,” he added with a shrug. He was definitely curious about how it would even work; however, he had grown rather fond of the young wizard now, and so was curbing his urges to ask to examine him. He strongly suspected that neither Harry, nor Steve, would like the suggestion that he study Harry and his pregancy.

“I’ve never been very basic,” Harry said with a rather flirtatious smile as he began to add various ingredients to the pan to start of the Gratin. Steve frowned at his boyfriend and the tone he had used; he really didn’t appreciate Harry flirting with Tony, especially not considering Tony’s infatuation with watching the two of them when they were being intimate. 

“Evidently,” Tony said, his eyes sweeping up and down the smaller man in appreciation. Harry was not the first man that he had appreciated in this way, but he was the first man that he had considered making it known to. His relationship with Pepper was so on and off that he rarely knew if he was coming or going with her, he needed something a lot simpler, something more carnal. 

“Enough, Tony, go away,” Steve said with a snarl. He really didn’t want Stark any where near his boyfriend. He didn’t care if Harry wasn’t even remotely tempted, the fact was that he simply didn’t trust Tony, he didn’t want the billionaire playboy anywhere near his pregnant boyfriend. 

“Nope, I think it’s high time I learnt to cook, what do you say, Casanova, want to give me a cookery lesson?” Tony asked with a wink in the wizard’s direction. Harry rolled his eyes as he sent the knife flying toward the sink and motioned for Tony to come into the room now that it was clear of magic. 

“Call me that one more time, Tony, and you’re going to find out just how far I can shove this…” Harry said as he held up a wooden spoon rather threateningly as Tony came towards him, laughing at the stern expression on the wizard’s face. 

“Harry, perhaps now isn’t the best time,” Steve interrupted, batting the wooden spoon down as a rush of blue hair came charging into the room, Clint running in afterwards, having failed to stop him. 

“I think I’m going to get back to the dinner,” Harry said with a sigh, thinking that he was going to have to get used to all of the interruptions to his love life. He didn’t think that between Teddy and the two babies in his belly that he was going to get much in the way of peace and quiet for the next eighteen years or so. 

\-------x

By half nine that night, Steve had finally convinced a rather sleepy Harry that they should go to bed. Teddy had fallen asleep curled up between them watching some rubbish show on the television. Andromeda had not owned a television so the nine year old had been absolutely transfixed by it. 

Steve had carried the young boy up to his own bed before returning back to the living room to find that his boyfriend had almost nodded off as well. He had taken a minute to admire the beauty of his lover when so relaxed and at rest, before scooping him up into his arms and carrying him up the stairs to their bedroom. 

On his way he could hear the undeniable sounds of sex coming from Clint’s room and Steve couldn’t help but shake his head in disbelief; both Clint and Natasha had gone to bed early, however, it didn’t appear as if they were doing much in the way of sleeping. As far as Steve was aware Tony and Bruce were still devising some form of device to contain the sphere and Thor, he was presumably still on Asgard tracking down the person who had helped Loki escape his prison. 

He sighed to himself as he pushed the bedroom door open with his foot, being careful not to make too much noise. He didn’t want to risk waking Teddy up, the young boy sleeping peacefully in the room next door to them. He had been very worried about this and Harry hadn’t had the heart to put him anywhere else, especially not since he knew that the young boy was still having night terrors. 

Steve wasn’t sure that what they were planning on doing the next evening was going to work but he was at least glad that he was going to be right by his boyfriend’s side so that he could at least try to protect him. He would feel a lot better about having Harry beside him, rather then sat wondering and worrying if he was even still alive or not. 

Laying Harry down on their bed, Steve set about stripping him down, removing shoes, sock and trousers first, thinking that it was best to let him keep sleeping than removing his t-shirt as well. Only once Harry was undressed did he remove his own clothing before crawling into bed beside his lover. Harry, halfway between waking and sleep, turned automatically into the warmth of his boyfriend, curling himself around the larger man. 

Steve accepted Harry into his arms, placing a tender kiss to the top his head. “Love you,” Harry mumbled sleepily, his eyes closed and his breathing deep and even as if he were already asleep. Steve froze, unable to believe that he had heard the words from Harry that he had wanted to hear for so long but knew that it was just too soon. 

In response Steve tightened his hold around his boyfriend, deciding that tomorrow he was going to treat his wonderful lover to a day, just the two of them. That was if he could get Clint to agree to babysit Teddy, though he didn’t think that that would be too difficult; despite his apparent reluctance, the archer seemed to be rather taken with the nine year old. 

He thought that he and Harry perhaps deserved it. Their relationship hadn’t exactly been normal up until this point, they hadn’t really had a chance to really get to know each other properly, everything had been on fast forward and they hadn’t even gone out on a date. Steve thought that it might be a rather old fashioned notion but he thought that it was something that they needed to do and tomorrow was the perfect time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't forget to leave me a comment and let me know your thoughts on this chapter.


	23. Diagon Alley

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry show's Steve his world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Firstly I want to say, thank you for your patience. I am working on Fragmented Soul, Primal Legacy and Affliction of War simultaneously and it can be quite hard work juggling three stories as well as real life.   
> Secondly, I really hope that you enjoy this chapter. There aren't many more to go and I think that within the next few chapters it'll be finished. I have a sequel planned out though there will be a little gap between the stories so I can get a head start on Primal Legacy.

“Hermione,” Ron said as he sat down at the breakfast table the next morning, a copy of the Daily Prophet in hand, so far still rolled up the way the owl had delivered it. He hadn’t been able to sleep much the night before; it hadn’t sat well with him how he and his wife had blown off one of their oldest friends when he had needed help, despite her reasons for why she had done it. 

“Hmm,” Hermione responded as she handed Rose a half chopped banana to mush into goop with her hands before eating. She was trying to minimise the mess that Rose had made of her high chair with the cereal she’d just finished, though Hermione was sure most of it was in her daughter’s hair or on the floor. 

“Do you think we were a little harsh yesterday with Harry? I mean he is trying to put a stop to all of this life threatening stupidity,” Ron said; it had been playing on his mind a lot and truth be told he was feeling a little guilty. He thought that maybe he should be going to the Ministry, to stand by his friend as he always had before and not leave it to the likes of Malfoy to be there instead. 

“I’ve been thinking about that too,” Hermione said with a sigh. “I don’t think I should have brought up Sirius, it wasn’t fair,” she added, looking a little guilty about this. She could read her husband like one of her favourite books and she knew that he was feeling rather out of sorts with how they had left things with Harry the evening before. 

“He wants a normal life, he wants what we have,” Ron said, turning the paper over in his hands, thinking that if he was going to accompany Harry to the Ministry tonight then he was going to need to convince Hermione that it was the right thing to do and he was under no illusion that this was going to be easy. 

“Where are you going with this Ron?” She asked sceptically. Hermione knew that he was dancing around what he really wanted to say, they had been together a long time and had been friends for years before that, she knew her husband very well. 

“I know that you don’t think that it’s a good idea, but…” Ron began, only to be cut off by a stern glare from Hermione, she knew exactly where her husband was going with this. 

“I don’t want you going,” Hermione said at once, wanting this point perfectly clear. She knew that she had been rather harsh with Harry and wanted to apologise for that, however, just because she knew this didn’t change the fact that she didn’t think that either of them had any business going. 

“The Minister for magic himself is helping,” Ron pointed out, unperturbed by the fact that despite feeling a little guilty about the way they had spoken to their friend, she still didn’t want them involved. “He asked for my help and now all he has is Malfoy!” 

“He has his super boyfriend and those other muggle heros, I saw the muggle papers on what they did in America, I’m sure that they can handle themselves,” Hermione said, really not wanting for her husband to get involved in this. 

“They won’t be able to go into the Ministry; Harry needs our help and we owe it to him,” Ron said a little more forcefully this time. He loved Hermione and he loved their daughter too but he hadn’t forgotten who had sacrificed the most to ensure that they could be happy and live their lives in safety. 

“You’ve already made up your mind haven’t you,” Hermione said with a resounding sigh. She knew just how stubborn Ron could be and that once he had made up his mind to do something then there would be no changing it. Truth be told she knew, deep down, that it was the right thing to do but that didn’t mean that she had to like it. The thought of her husband not coming home to her one day was terrifying, it was why she had fought so hard to convince him against remaining as a Auror. 

“It’s the right thing to do,” Ron said, looking to his wife apologetically as he unrolled his copy of the Prophet, his mind a little more at ease now that he had decided that he would be going, “you know that it is,” he added, casting a glance to his daughter and smiling, “Harry deserves to have what we have, with Steve and his babies and I want to help give him that.” 

“It might be the right thing to do, Ron,” Hermione said sadly as her husband glanced over the front page of the paper, “but it doesn’t mean that I have to like it. After all, Neville died because of whatever Harry has going on right now. I might have over reacted and been a little harsh yesterday but that doesn’t mean I want you involved in this.” 

“I’m sorry,” Ron said, getting to his feet and going to press a kiss to the told of his daughter’s head before moving to his wife and placing a chaste kiss to her cheek. “I’m going to let Harry know that I’ll be coming with him.” 

Ron was now even more determined to help Harry now that he seen the front of the Prophet, which had announced Harry’s new relationship with the super soldier to the world. Rita Skeeter had really outdone herself this time with the speculation on the identity of this man and the others that had clearly been in league with him, suggesting that Harry was now in some form of cult. Harry deserved to have some form of normality in his life. 

 

\-----------x

Waking up to his boyfriend giving him a blow job was one of the best ways to be woken up, at least that was Harry’s opinion. None of his previous lovers had ever woken him up in such a fashion and he certainly wasn’t complaining about it, especially not when it lead to a rather active session of shower sex a few moments later. 

Now sat having breakfast, something that Tony had arranged to have brought in as Harry, the only person who could cook, had been occupied and the others had been hungry, the five Avengers, Teddy and Harry were all sat at the table smiling and laughing together. For Harry it felt wonderful to have this down time with people that he counted as his friends, it helped of course that Steve had promptly pulled him on to his lap and this was where he had remained for the duration of the meal. 

The happy moods, however, were quickly shattered when Kingsley walked in, in his hand a copy of the Daily Prophet and a rather sombre expression on his face. They hadn’t really been expecting the Minister for Magic but Harry thought that he might have turned up and it made sense for him to have come so early. Recently Kingsley had been spending a lot time dealing with the business with the sphere and Harry was under no delusion that this Minister was allowing other things to slide just because he simply didn’t have the time to deal with them. 

Harry was hoping that that would change once the sphere was out of the Ministry and therefore this whole business was no longer an issue that had to be dealt with by the Wizarding World. “What’s wrong?” Harry asked as he saw how unhappy the Minister looked. Without a word of explanation, Kingsley threw down the paper on to the table where both Harry and Steve could see. “Oh,” the young wizard said, “I see.” 

Strangely, Teddy had sunk down on his chair, sliding on to the floor and under the table, taking his toast with him. Harry and Clint shared rather amused looks with one another at this. Harry was far too used to articles being printed about him to be too phased about the article. 

“The pictures are moving,” Steve said, frowning at the paper as he watched himself usher Harry over to the car as if it were a film on screen; though to the super solider it just didn’t seem to be possible as, when he reached forward to touch it, it was clearly just paper. He didn’t think that the Wizarding world was ever going to stop surprising him. 

Clint leaned over to see and adopted the same look as Steve, slightly confused as to how it could have been done. Tony and Bruce both looked as if they were dying to get their hands on it so that they could figure out how it could be possible. They were both scientists and were both still a little sceptical on the whole magic thing. Tony, however, was a little wary of going near anything magical that wasn’t Harry, out of fear of what it might do to his reactor. 

“I knew she’d do something like this,” Harry said with a scowl, ignoring the curious looks and Steve’s statement as that was something that he could explain to them later. Harry was far too used to moving pictures to be phased by them and he was far too annoyed at what Skeeter had done yet again. He was used to his life being spread across the tabloids but it still didn’t make it easier to stomach, not now it involved Steve as well. He knew that it wouldn’t stop either, not even when his twins were born. 

“I realise that there are more pressing issues to be dealt with,” Kingsley said firmly, “however, this will need to be dealt with at some stage as well. In the article she has suggested that you are in a cult of all things,” he added motioning to the Avengers. 

Harry couldn’t help himself, laughing a little as he glanced around at the rather unique individuals that had gathered around the breakfast table. “Well she’s not far wrong there,” he said with a smile and even a few of the Avengers could see the funny side of that particular comment. 

“This is no laughing matter,” Kingsley said sternly, “we cannot have people believing that you have joined a cult; people look up to you as a beacon of hope. Also, you might want to consider how your more dedicated admirers are going to feel when it comes to Steve. I am sure that there are a few who won’t take kindly to you being in a relationship.” 

“I’ll make an announcement when this is all over,” Harry said with a sigh, realising that Kingsley was right. The person who kept sending him gifts and flowers was going to be one of those more dedicated admirers that the Minister was talking about. It was going to be a lot less hassle if Harry came out with a fixed statement to the press. Though there was one thing that he was very sure about and that was that his pregnancy was going to be a closely guarded secret, because he didn’t want to put his babies in danger.

He wasn’t delusional, he knew he wouldn’t be able to hide them away forever, but he was going to everything in his power to protect them for as long as he could. Once the sphere was out of the Ministry then his life could truly begin in a way that it had never had a chance to before. This was his opportunity to start again, to have something that he had never had before. With Steve by his side he was being allowed a second chance, something that he wasn’t about to pass over.

“Penny for your thoughts,” Steve said, nuzzling into Harry’s neck, placing soft kisses there and bringing Harry back to the real world. The younger man, turned to face his boyfriend, smiling gently as he shook his head before placing a soft kiss to Steve’s lips. Harry couldn’t help but smile as he felt Teddy lean up against his leg beneath the table. 

“Later,” Harry whispered, resting his forehead against Steve’s with his eyes closed, well aware that the others would be watching them and Kingsley would be getting rather impatient at having to stand there waiting for them. It didn’t help that Harry could hear Clint making retching noises. 

“Everything is set for this evening. By six o’clock tonight the Ministry of Magic will be empty,” Kingsley said, a rather annoyed look on his face. He wasn’t really in the mood for the lovey dovey couple right now, not when he had so much else to do. “I have had to arrange for the wards to be strengthened around the Ministry so that suspicions are not raised; however, work will not start on them until midnight. You should make sure not be inside at that time,” he warned. 

“What will happen if we are?” Steve asked curiously. He wanted to know what danger they were likely to be in if they overstayed their welcome within the Ministry of Magic. If they were going to be in any danger then he wanted to know about it so that he could protect Harry. If his boyfriend had to do this then he wanted to make sure that they could predict any trouble and prevent it, if at all possible. 

“No one has ever been inside while they are being worked on,” Kingsley said firmly, “the wards are very powerful and extremely dangerous, they are hiding one of the most important wizarding buildings from muggles. The security and the magic protecting the Ministry is not something you want to be caught in, it is therefore advisable if you don’t linger too long.” 

“We won’t,” Harry said, meeting the Minister’s eyes, wanting for Kingsley to know just how seriously he was taking this. He knew the risks; the magic that went into protecting the Ministry was immense and even Harry wouldn’t have dared to mess with it. “I know where we’re going, we’ll be in and out.” 

“Make sure that you are,” Kingsley said. “I must take my leave, I’ll check in with you tomorrow morning,” he added with a curt nod. 

The Avengers all watched as the Minister for Magic left the room, his robes billowing out behind him. Silence had descended amongst them all, Harry’s eyes still on the paper, one hand beneath the table, stroking Teddy’s hair. He wasn’t sure what had sent the nine year old under the table but he wouldn’t question it; he too liked the security of enclosed spaces, though he assumed that was from his time spent in the cupboard under the stairs. 

“You okay under there?” Steve asked, directing the question to his nine year old charge. A little head of blue hair peered out from under the table and nodded enthusiastically. “Are you coming back out?” the super soldier asked curiously, causing Harry to chuckle softly.

Tony and Bruce were talking between the themselves, the two scientists unable to fathom the world of magic, it just didn’t commute with the world that they knew, magic was not something that could be studied beneath a microscope. Though aliens from another world were a little beyond their reach too and yet they were here, walking amongst them and even fighting at their side too. It had certainly been an eye opening few months for the two of them who liked logic and reason. 

“Is that man gone?” Teddy asked, peering out a little further and trying to glance around the room. It wasn’t that he didn’t like Kingsley, it was more that he found the large and domineering man to be a little intimidating. Teddy had had enough of domineering men and feeling scared, he was more than happy to hide from them instead, especially when he had Harry there to look after him. 

“Yes,” Steve said with a frown, unsure why it was that the little boy was scared of the Minister for Magic and yet seemed completely besotted with Clint who was by far the more scary of the two men, at least in Steve’s opinion. It was all very well waving a wand at someone but put Clint in combat and he would fight to the death, brutal and heartless in his effort to survive. 

“Then yes,” Teddy said with a smile, ducking back under the table and reappearing in his own seat, right in between Clint and Natasha, grabbing another slice of toast with a smile. Hawkeye didn’t even notice the reappearance of the nine year old, too focused on the copy of the Daily Prophet that Kingsley had left behind. Natasha was the only one of the Avenger’s that didn’t seem to be completely fascinated by the wizarding newspaper, content to sit and sip at her tea, her brain was in overdrive as she contemplated what they had to do this evening, it was unsettling her that she had very little information. One thing she didn’t like feeling was helpless. 

“You are seeing that right?” Clint said, glancing over at Natasha breifly before turning back to the picture move.It was like watching a miniture movie and it made him start wondering if he was actually going mad, “the picture is moving!”

“It always does that,” Teddy said with a shrug before taking a bite of his toast. He thought it rather strange that they didn’t know about how pictures moved and such, though Teddy had not had much contact with muggles in his life or anything outside of the wizarding world. 

“Always?” Clint asked, looking to Harry for some answers but found that the wizard was far too occupied with Steve, the couple sharing a few chaste kisses and whispered words with one another. Still perplexed by it all, Clint reached for the paper to take a closer look at it; however, as he did so, Teddy placed his glass of orange juice down a little too close to Clint, causing the archer to knock it over as he retrieved the Prophet. 

The glass toppled over, spilling its contents all over the nine year old who looked a little perplexed. “Damn it,” Clint said with a growl of annoyance, though he was at least grateful that none of the juice had gone over him. The young boy, however, had not fared so well. 

“Whoops,” Teddy said a little guiltily, not sure what the reactions were going to be. His Grandmother had not liked mess and she had always yelled at him for making any, it was one of the only things she had ever been strict about. “Sorry,” he said sheepishly. The sound of the glass hitting the table had drawn the attention of the others and at once Harry was on his feet, wand drawn, ready to clean up the mess. 

“It’s okay, kid,” Steve said with a smile as he too got to his feet, realising just how nervous Teddy had become because of what he had done. They all watched as with a wave of Harry’s wand, the mess vanished. “You’re not in trouble,” he said as Harry turned to the nine year old to make sure that he was okay. 

“Teddy,” Harry said with worry, kneeling down so that he was more at the young boy’s level, “it’s okay, it was an accident, don’t look so worried.” 

“Grandma didn’t like mess,” Teddy said, still very quiet. The others too had stopped what they had been doing and were watching the nine year old with sympathy. “She used to send me to my room if I made any.” 

“Well you know what, I don’t mind mess,” Harry said with a smile, “and I hear that babies make a lot of messes so I guess I don’t mind if you make a little too,” he added, opening his arms as an invitation for Teddy who took it, falling into his Godfather’s arms.

“Just no mess in my lab,” Tony said with a laugh. Steve just glared at Tony, knowing that he wasn’t helping the situation. 

“Perhaps we should relocate and finish working on the container,” Bruce suggested, realising that Harry, Steve and Teddy needed some alone time as a family. The three of them had been flung together in such quick succession that none of them had had time to adjust to it. Steve and Harry had only just come to terms with their own relationship before Harry’s pregnancy had been announced and now the two of them had a nine year old to take care of. 

“Clint, can I have a word?” Natasha asked, realising what Bruce was trying to do and actually wanting to talk to Clint anyway. 

“Sure,” he responded with a shrug as Tony and Bruce got up to head for the door. “Harry, you want a hand clearing up first?” he asked as Natasha headed for the door, following the two scientists who had a lot of work to do before this evening’s mission. 

“No, you two go ahead, I can handle it,” Harry said, knowing what the others were trying to do and finding that he was actually rather grateful for it. He wanted some alone time with Steve and with Teddy too, they needed to solidify their family and they had until the twins were born to do it. 

It took less than a minute before Steve, Harry and Teddy were left alone in the dining room, the nine year old still in his Godfather’s arms. He wasn’t sure how Teddy had been raised up until now, but it hadn’t been as lovely as he thought it had first seemed, clearly. Harry remembered what it had been like at the Dursleys’ when he was younger, and he didn’t want Teddy to feel like that, not ever and he would make sure that Teddy never felt that way. 

“Shall we show Steve how wizards clean up?” Harry asked the nine year old with a smile, putting a little distance between the two of them. 

“But I can’t use magic, I don’t even have a wand yet,” Teddy said with confusion. He was able to use his abilities as a metamorphmagus without detection as it wasn’t strictly magic, it was the reason why it didn’t have any affect on Tony’s reactor; however, actual magic was off limits to him. 

“But I can,” Harry said playfully, getting to his feet and turning to the table. He pulled out his wand and waved it with a muttered word. At once the plates began to gather themselves into a pile, before heading towards the kitchen; the various foods on the table quickly followed. 

Harry turned to Teddy and gave the nine year old a little wink before waving his wand again, and making the cutlery march itself along the table and follow the food and plates into the kitchen. The little metamorphmagus couldn’t help but giggle at the sight. 

“You’re going to have to show me more of your world, Harry,” Steve said; he too was more than a little impressed with what Harry could do. Magic was never going to cease amazing him, he was sure of that. Though the best thing so far had to be the ability for a male to carry children, that was something Steve just couldn’t get over every time he looked at Harry, how the two of them were going to have perfect miniature versions of themselves. 

“Teddy, what do you think about showing Steve some of the Wizarding World today?” Harry asked, turning to his charge curiously. Though, when he did he saw that Teddy’s face had lit up like a lightbulb, his little body buzzing with excitement.

“You really mean that?” Teddy asked, his eyes wide with utter astonishment as Harry nodded, unsure why the nine year old was reacting this way to the suggestion of a trip into the Wizarding world. “Grandma never let me go, she said I’d draw too much attention and that people would ask too many questions.” 

“She never took you?” Harry asked, a little horrified as Teddy shook his head. “Then that settles it,” Harry said with finality, “we’re going to Diagon Alley and we’re having ice cream.” 

 

\----------x 

“We’re going there,” Harry said as they arrived at the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron. Teddy was holding on to Harry’s hand, trying to contain his excitement but the little boy was practically buzzing with anticipation. Steve was stood on the other side of Teddy, looking a little confused, trying to see where Harry was pointing. 

“I don’t get it,” Steve said making Teddy giggle a little. The nine year old could see the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron clear as day as could Harry, Steve however could not, the spells surrounding it designed to keep muggles from noticing it. To the super solider all they were looking at was a broken down, old shop front that looked very unremarkable stood between a second hand bookstore and a record shop. It was nothing like a magical entrance to the wizarding world, though Steve wasn’t sure what it was he had been expecting. 

“Do you trust me?” Harry asked, turning to Steve and smiling. The super soldier didn’t even hesitate for a moment before nodding his head. He would trust Harry with everything without question even if there was every reason to doubt. “Hold Teddy’s hand,” Harry instructed as he let go of his hold on the nine year old, moving so that he could take Steve’s other hand, knowing that this was the only way to get Steve inside of the Leaky Cauldron. 

“What are we doing?” Steve asked, highly confused by what was going on as they began to walk towards the abandoned shop front that didn’t appear to have been used in many, many years. 

“I thought you trusted me,” Harry said, grinning at Teddy who was looking far too happy. Steve didn’t entirely understand what his boyfriend meant or what he was doing but there was one thing he knew for certain and that was that he trusted Harry with his life. 

He had done a lot in his life and faced a lot of scary people and done things that he had never dreamed were possible; however, he couldn’t deny his fear as Harry lead him towards the empty shop front, not slowing down, not turning to avoid a collision with the closed door. A hundred and one things were rushing through his mind, thinking that something was going to happen, worried that the babies might get hurt, scared that he would lose Harry or Teddy… and then suddenly he was inside a bar. 

“Harry…” Steve began to say, looking around, feeling entirely bewildered at what had just happened. The place looked rather dark and shabby, a handful of people occupying various tables throughout the establishment, and a woman stood behind the bar, polishing glasses.

When the woman glanced over at the newcomers she smiled, her brown eyes lighting up as she flicked her blond hair over the shoulder, moving around the bar and embracing Harry in a tight hug. Steve didn’t move, not sure what to make of this woman, though he made sure that he kept a firm grip on Teddy’s hand, not wanting for the nine year old to get over excited and wander off. 

“It’s good to see you, Hannah,” Harry said with a smile as she released him. 

“I was worried,” Hannah returned, “all this business in the papers, saying you’d gone to America, fighting more battles.” She tutted. “Do you want your usual?” At this question Harry couldn’t help but blush a little, shaking his head. 

“Umm, actually no,” he said with an awkward smile, “I’m actually here showing my boyfriend around. Hannah this is Steve Rogers; Steve this is Hannah Abbott, an old school friend of mine.” 

“It’s nice to meet you,” Steve said, feeling rather out of place as he offered out his hand for the woman to shake. Smiling at him, Hannah did just that, looking him up and down rather appreciatively as she did so. 

“Now I can see why you went to America,” she said to Harry before turning to Teddy. “And who is this adorable young man?” 

“Teddy,” Harry introduced, feeling rather proud of the young boy, “Remus and Tonks’ son,” he added when Hannah looked momentarily confused; however, as Harry said this a look of realisation and understanding passed across her face. 

“Your parents are heroes young man,” she said, smiling down at Teddy, “you should be very proud of what they did.” 

“I am,” Teddy said quietly. He had always known that his parents were heroes in the war that his Godfather had fought in but he had never been permitted to ask many questions. Whenever he had tried his Grandma had shut him down and refused to speak of it, thinking of her daughter and son in law dying had been too painful to talk about. 

“We should get on,” Harry said, watching as Teddy buried his face into Steve’s side, the super solider wrapping an arm around the little boy protectively, “I’ve promised these two ice cream.” 

“Don’t be a stranger, Harry,” Hannah said, pulling him into a final, parting hug, “you’re always welcome here,” she added after releasing him, “you all are.” 

“You weren’t kidding when you said that people knew you,” Steve said as Harry ushered them out a back door, trying not to make eye contact with anyone else, though a few of the other occupants of the bar were trying. 

“Hannah was in my year at school,” Harry explained as he came to a standstill in the small courtyard that he knew to be the entranceway to diagon alley. He smiled to himself as he recalled the first time he had come here with Hagrid when he was eleven years old and had only just learnt that he was a wizard. “We fought together,” he explained as he withdrew his wand. 

“I hate to ask,” Steve said as he looked around at where they were standing, feeling a tad claustrophobic in the small courtyard, “but is there a reason we’re standing here?” 

“Wait and see,” Harry said with a grin as he encouraged Teddy forward, wanting for the young boy to see the magnificence of Diagon Alley as it opened up to him. Steve came to stand just behind Harry, placing a sweet kiss on the crook of his neck, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend's waist protectively as Harry began to tap the bricks in an anticlockwise direction. 

Right before their eyes the bricks began to turn into an archway. Teddy’s mouth agape in awe as he watched the magical street appear before him, a riot of colour and activity. Steve just stood, wide eyed in shock, never having thought that anything so amazing could actually exist, which was saying a lot considering everything he had seen in his lifetime. 

“This is…” Steve began but found himself lost for words on how to describe it as he took in the mass of colour, the crowds of people wearing robes, owls, toads, broomsticks, everything he had never even thought to consider before today. 

“Awesome,” Teddy finished for him, pulling on Harry, dragging him into Diagon Alley, wanting to explore everywhere. There were a few people looking at them curiously, but the nine year old’s attention was firmly on the numerous shops and stalls he wanted to explore.

“That might be the word,” Steve said in agreement as he quickly took Harry’s free hand in his own before the two wizards could disappear off without him. This place was incredible but he definitely didn’t want to get stuck there by himself; there were a lot of people staring at them already and judging by the welcome they had got from Hannah, Steve predicted that everyone knew who his boyfriend was.

“So where to first?” Harry asked Teddy, feeling rather delighted by the reactions he was getting. He could remember his own excitement when he had first experienced this place and he wanted to give that to Teddy now.

“Can we get a broom, I’ve always wanted to learn to fly… oh and what about an owl, can we get an owl? Harry, look a sweet shop, can we go in there and the bookstore, can I get some books too, I want to learn about everything, can I please?” 

“Breathe, Teddy,” Harry said with a laugh, finding his young ward’s enthusiasm infectious. “One thing at a time, shall we go look at broomsticks first?” he suggested, and Teddy nodded quickly with a grin on his face. 

“Broomsticks, flying on brooms?” Steve asked in a whisper, leaning down close to Harry’s ear. “Seriously?” He couldn’t help but picture green hags, cackling madly as they flew around on the back of a broom with a black cat, but that was not what he was seeing here, though the imagery was hard to shake. 

“Yep,” Harry said joyfully, both him and Teddy looking to the super soldier with grins on their faces. “Ron’s sister does it professionally,” he told his boyfriend, remembering how happy Ginny had been when she got her place on the Holyhead Harpies. “Maybe we could all go see her play sometime,” he suggested. As an afterthought Harry made a mental note to tell Steve that he had also briefly dated Ron’s sister, but that was certainly a conversation for another time, just like the conversation about the fact that he had had a one night stand with Draco. 

“Yay,” Teddy said, clearly excited by the prospect of seeing a quidditch match; though his attention was suddenly diverted by the impressive display in the window of Quality Quidditch Supplies. There were two full uniforms there, including full protective gear, one in the dark grey and white of the Falmouth Falcons and the other in the pale blue of the Appleby Arrows.

“This is a sport?” Steve asked in bewilderment as the three of them headed inside the store. If he hadn’t been able to tell from outside, then the balls and clothing and equipment inside would have made it obvious. 

“Yep, quidditch, I used to play in school,” Harry told him, letting Teddy lead them over to the wall of brooms. “I was actually very good too, I got offered a position on a team after the war but I don’t think I could ever do it professionally.” 

“Why not? It certainly sounds safer than whatever you were doing before,” Steve said, trying to figure everything out. He and Harry had not yet really had much of a chance to bond and get to know each other on a deeper level. Steve was keen to listen and learn everything he could about Harry.

“Before I was an Auror,” Harry said as they wandered around the shop, keeping a very close eye on the nine year old, “a dark wizard catcher,” he explained, realising that Steve might not be familiar with the job title, “but it’s only safer to be on a Quidditch team if you don’t get hit by bludgers.” 

“Bludgers?” Steve questioned, completely fascinated by the world that surrounded him. He felt almost the exactly the same as he had when he had first woken up after being frozen for seventy years, everything was new and different, he had so much to learn. This time, however, he wasn’t doing it for himself, he was doing it for Harry. 

“They are balls that kind fly around the pitch during the game, try to knock into players,” Harry explained, looking around the store to try and spot some. “There, look”, he said, gesturing to the row of very similar looking balls that were struggling against the metal cages holding them in place. “Those are bludgers.”

“Yeah, I am not sure I want you playing Quidditch either,” Steve said as he took in the sight of them, they looked like they could be quite dangerous given they way they were rattling against their cages. He knew that most sports had an element of danger to them, however, to have solid balls trying to hit into you while you were flying was taking it to an entirely new level. 

“Harry, Harry,” Teddy said, tugging on his Godfather’s sleeve and pulling him a little further along the wall of brooms. “Look, it says ‘for ages eight to twelve’,” he said, pointing to and reading from a little plaque next to one of the selection of slightly smaller brooms, “does that mean that I can have one?” he asked hopefully, looking back up at Steve and Harry.

“And you would rather that one than wait a few years to get a full size one?” Harry asked dubiously, “you know you won’t be able to take it to Hogwarts either,” he added, thinking that Teddy needed to be told this. 

“You’re going to get him one of these thing?” Steve asked, looking concerned. He didn’t care how small an amount of time he had known Teddy but he genuinely cared for the boy and thinking of him flying around on one of these things made him extremely nervous. 

“I think so,” Harry said with a smile, wanting to indulge Teddy a little, “though he isn’t to even think about flying it without me there,” he added, looking to the nine year old. At some point he was going to have to go back to his flat and retrieve his belongings; he had no desire to go back and live there but his most prized possessions were still there, including his firebolt. 

“I promise,” Teddy added with sincerity. “So I can really have it?” he asked hopefully, and Harry just smiled and nodded. “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” he exclaimed excitedly, throwing his arms around Harry’s waist.

Sure enough, fifteen minutes later, the three of them were leaving the store with not only the broomstick, but also full protective gear in Teddy’s size because Harry had no doubt that Teddy was likely to be a little accident prone like his mum had been. Steve had no idea what the exchange rate was but he was still fairly certain that Harry had just spent an extortionate amount; but while the two of them seemed so happy he wasn’t going to mention it.

The sweet shop had been next, and that had been fascinating, though a little weird. Teddy though, had found a lot of things he was curious about and Steve had just smiled indulgently when Harry had purchased an enormous bag of most of the things that Teddy had pointed to. 

“Come on, let’s go find you a few books,” Harry suggested, as they left the sweetshop, leading them up the street. He was so glad that they had decided to do this, because Steve’s curiosity and Teddy’s excitement were putting him in an excellent mood, and he was relishing the chance to spoil his young ward. 

“Harry, there, look,” Teddy said, as they passed a few more shops, “is that where you got your wand?” 

Harry directed his gaze to where Teddy was pointing, and sure enough, found himself looking at Ollivanders. “I did,” he confirmed, leading Steve and Teddy over to look in through the window of the quiet, dark shop. 

“I would love to have a wand,” Teddy said quietly, his voice clearly one of awe, as he pressed up against the glass of the window to peer inside. “What was it like when you got yours?” he asked with curiosity, looking to Harry with wide eyes. 

“Want to find out?” Harry asked with a grin.

“Seriously?” Teddy asked in amazement, he hadn’t actually thought that Harry would get him a wand, he was only nine years old after all. Most witches and wizards didn’t get their first wands until they were eleven and buying their school supplies for their first year at Hogwarts. 

“Harry, are you sure this is a good idea?” Steve asked dubiously thinking that they had already spent enough, not that he knew how much Harry had already spent, Steve didn’t understand the wizarding money at all but he could fathom a guess and say a lot. He didn’t imagine for a second that broomsticks were cheap. 

“Teddy, why don’t you go and have a look in Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes,” Harry suggested, knowing that at least one of the Weasley family would be in there to keep an eye on him, “I’m just going to talk to Steve for a second.” 

“Okay,” Teddy said happily, going to run off into the store across the street from them; however, he hesitated, turning back to Harry and throwing his arms around his waist and hugging him. “Thank you so much,” he said gratefully. There were no words for how happy he felt; he had barely left his Grandma’s house when he had lived with her, she had even home schooled him, not wanting to risk putting him in a muggle school with his particular talents. 

Harry couldn’t help but smile, returning the embrace before Teddy detached himself and headed for the joke shop. Steve watched him go, waiting until the nine year old was out of sight before turning to Harry and taking him in his arms. “You’re spoiling him,” the super soldier said simply. There was no disapproval or annoyance in his tone, he spoke kindly and Harry smiled faintly, giving a nod of his head. 

“I know,” he said with a sigh, Harry knew that he was spoiling his charge and he certainly didn’t want Teddy to end up like Dudley, but the nine year old had been through a lot, losing his Grandma and being kidnapped. Harry just wanted to give him today, a happy memory to start building their family on, bonding them together. Harry could also remember what it had been like to be denied magic, to be shut out of the world he belonged in and he never wanted for Teddy to feel like that. “I just want to show him that he belongs here and that he has nothing to be ashamed of, he’s like me, an orphan, the fact that Andromeda refused to bring him here, almost as if she was ashamed…” 

“Okay,” Steve said gently, “I understand, but maybe after we get him a wand, we go for ice cream. We can’t be too much longer anyway, we have to prepare for tonight,” he added before drawing his lover into a drawn out kiss, which was only interrupted when a flash of light erupted just to their left. 

The same photographer from Neville’s funeral was brandishing his camera in front of them and of course Rita Skeeter was not far behind him. Harry was infuriated, hating her with every ounce of his being, however, he knew that he couldn’t cause a scene here, not again. Keeping his cool, calling on his years of Auror training to do so, Harry smiled at her, though addressing Steve as he spoke. “Go and find Teddy,” he said to his boyfriend, “I won’t be long.” 

A little uncertain that this was the right thing to do, Steve placed a soft kiss on Harry’s temple. “Be careful,” he whispered, knowing full well what had happened the last time that this woman had tried to talk to Harry. He gave her a warning glare before heading off into the peculiar looking joke shop, wondering what kind of mischief Teddy could have found himself in. 

“Such a sweet couple,” Rita said, her acid green quick quotes quill ready and waiting for Harry to speak, “where did you meet?” she asked, smiling at Harry sweetly, but he was not fooled by her at all.

“Before I say anything to you I want to make a few things perfectly clear,” Harry said firmly, unwilling to give Rita anything until he had laid down a few ground rules. “My life is not a meal ticket for you, regardless of what you seem to think. I let you do that ridiculous biography but you don’t get an all-access pass to the rest of my private life,” he said. 

“You allowed the biography, for a fee, don’t pretend as if I did you a hardship Mr Potter,” Rita said, being very careful to keep her tone sickly sweet and very calm. She wanted to remain on Harry’s good side, she wanted the exclusive story and would prefer not to be thrown through the air again in the process of getting it. 

“And don’t you pretend that you weren’t gagging for the permission to do it,” Harry snapped back fiercely. “I did you a favour, allowing you to publish that monstrosity and to be honest I don’t have to tell you anything but I don’t want you parasites to continue to hound me, I want to be left alone.” 

“You’re far too important a figure to be left alone,” Rita said, smiling at him, which only served to make Harry more irritated. 

“Well that’s exactly what I want,” Harry said in annoyance. “It’s my life and if you can guarantee that I’m going to be given my privacy then I can give you the exclusive to my life, including the juiciest bit of gossip that only the closest friends and family know right now.” Harry hated to use his pregnancy to get something like this, but he knew that it was the best way that he could ensure that they were protected once they were born. 

“I’d have to think about it,” Rita said, clearly mulling things over in her head. She could see the benefit of this, however she was still a little wary of making any such deals. Rita knew that Harry and his friends were smart enough to know the ins and outs of such deal making. 

“Going once,” Harry said firmly, not willing to mess around. Rita either wanted this deal or she didn’t, he could take the offer to any other Wizarding publication and they would be desperate to accept his terms, “going twice,” he said after a moment of hesitation where Rita said nothing.

“Fine,” Rita said, realising that her editor would fire her if she let this opportunity go, especially if someone else got it instead of them. “What are the terms?” she asked. 

“My family and I are off limits to you,” Harry said, feeling rather happy that Rita had so readily agreed to this, “we aren’t badgered or photographed every time that we leave the house, we get to be a regular family.” 

“And in return?” Rita demanded from him, wanting to know what she would get if she agreed to do this. There was no way she was giving up her rights to Harry, he was a very large money maker for the paper, the name Harry Potter sold a lot of papers. 

“You get the exclusive now,” Harry said, “I’ll give my permission to print the picture you just took and when I have newsworthy announcements in my life then you will be the one who is allowed to get the exclusive.” 

Rita took a moment to consider this, knowing that this was the best offer that she was going to get, though she didn’t want to appear too keen on it, she had her own terms after all. “I want the right to pictures,” she said, “and monthly updates.” 

Harry shook his head. “No, that I will not permit,” he said firmly. “You can take pictures when I expressly give my permission for you to do so, but I will not be tied down to monthly updates with you. Take it or leave it.” 

“I’ll take it,” Rita said, though a little unhappily; it was clear to her that Harry knew just how valuable what he was offering was, he wasn’t stupid. 

“Wonderful,” Harry said with a smile, “ask your questions and I’ll answer.” 

\----------------x

Harry, Steve and Teddy left Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes an hour and a half after Teddy had first stepped foot on the premises. Ginny Weasley had been the one running the store today,but she had been a little busy and hadn’t had a chance to come and talk to them. Harry was actually rather grateful for this; he didn’t want to think about the conversation he would have to have with Steve in regards to Ginny. 

They had been able to escape the store without too many purchases too, though only because Harry knew that with his own influence, as well as knowing who teddy’s father had been, Harry didn’t think that the nine year old needed any help in the practical joke department just yet. They had then spent a further forty minutes talking to Ollivander and getting Teddy his wand, which turned out to be an Applewood wand with unicorn hair core, thirteen inches and very supple, before heading to Florence and Fortescue's for ice cream. 

“So how are you finding the wizarding world?” Harry asked as he and Steve took their seats, Harry having given Teddy a handful of sickles to go and get whatever it was that he wanted from the counter. 

“Fascinating beyond words,” Steve said, reaching forward and taking one of Harry’s hands within his own, raising it to his lips and kissing it. He found the blush that crept up on Harry’s cheeks as he did this to be utterly adorable. 

“It hasn’t scared you away then?” he asked, worried that it might have all been a little bit too much for Steve, who, despite his extraordinary talents and astounding past with everything he had seen and done, was still just a muggle. 

“I think you underestimate my feelings for you,” Steve said with a smile, lacing his fingers together with Harry’s, casting a glance over to where Teddy was still trying to decide what to get; there were just too many flavours for his young mind to fathom and he clearly wanted to try them all, “for both of you.” 

“You really are a big sap,” Harry said with a grin, leaning forward and giving his boyfriend a chaste kiss to his lips, happy in the knowledge that there would be no reporters taking pictures, they wouldn’t be bothered, this moment was theirs and theirs alone. With the sun shining down upon them, warming their skin, Harry feeling slightly sick from his pregnancy and Teddy squealing in delight as he picked out various flavours of ice cream, Steve right beside him, Harry couldn’t have felt happier, not even with the knowledge of this evening's mission looming over them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Don't forget to leave a lovely comment for me and let me know what you think :)


	24. The Blackbird

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Off to the Ministry of Magic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so very close to finishing this story, I have the majority of the final chapters written now and it'll be posted over the next few weeks. I have two sequels planned, one during the span of Winter Solider and possibly (I'm going to have to see what plot bunnies jump out at me) for Age of Ultron as well. For now however, please enjoy this new addition to the story.

“You have bought him far too much,” Steve said fondly, placing a kiss to Harry’s temple as the three of them unloaded all of the shopping bags in the hallway, having just returned home from their rather eventful shopping trip in Diagon Alley. Harry had shrunk down all of their purchases and put them all in his pocket; though now that they were all the correct size again it had astounded Steve a little to see just how much Harry had bought. 

Harry flushed a little at this; he knew that he had gone a little overboard with everything he had bought today but with everything that had happened to the poor boy, he had thought that Teddy deserved to be a little spoilt. He knew what it was like to be hidden away from the world, to be kept as a dirty secret that people were ashamed of and even though he knew that it hadn’t been Andromeda’s intent to be malicious in keeping the young boy hidden away from the world, Harry couldn’t help but want to show him off and be proud of him. He wanted to show Teddy that he was loved, that people cared and that he had nothing to be ashamed of. 

“I know,” Harry said, sounding a little guilty about this. He honestly hadn’t meant to spend so much but he had become just as caught up in the moment as Teddy had. He might have wanted to show the young boy just how much he was loved but Harry didn’t want to fall into the trap his Aunt and Uncle had with Dudley. He wasn’t sure if he would be able to cope if Teddy turned out like that. “I just…” Harry began with a sigh, “I know what it’s like to go without and I don’t want any of our children to feel as if they don’t matter.” If Harry could help it then no one that he cared about was ever going to feel the way he had when living with the Dursley’s. 

Harry was feeling rather grateful that Teddy had gone charging off into the house to find Clint the moment that they had got inside, wanting to tell him about the wonderful day they had had and all the magical things that they had seen. This was not a conversation that Harry wanted the nine year old to listen in on and he knew that Teddy had developed a habit of going very quiet and simply listening to everything that was going on, hearing things that a boy his age had no business knowing. 

“Why would they ever feel as if they didn’t matter?” Steve asked, looking at Harry with confusion and worry. “Has someone made you feel like that?” There had been a few hints and clues that Harry had not had the perfect childhood, but it wasn’t something that they had talked about, at least not yet. Though that didn’t mean that Steve wasn’t curious, especially when it came to a few of the scars on Harry’s body.

Harry sighed hating that at some point he was going to be forced to have that particular conversation; waving his hand he sent all the bags up to their room, thinking that it might be for the best if he didn’t leave all the wizarding stuff lying around, especially considering how curious Tony and Bruce were. “It doesn’t matter,” he said, not wanting to talk about his life with the Dursley's now, not when they had a stressful evening ahead of them. Even though it was a conversation they would have to have, now was not the time to have it. 

“When it comes to you, Harry, everything matters,” Steve said seriously, taking hold of his boyfriend’s waist and pulling him into him, wanting for the younger man to understand how serious he was when he said that. “Don’t ever think that it doesn’t,” he added before closing the distance between them and kissing him. Wrapping his arms around his super soldier, Harry melted into the kiss, allowing himself to be overwhelmed by the warmth and comfort that his lover provided.

“You’re such a hopelessly romantic sap,” Harry said affectionately, a goofy smile on his face when their kiss broke. He did love how much of a romantic his boyfriend was, it made his stomach all tingly, there was nothing about Steve he would change; however, Harry only wished that they had met in different circumstances, that they had had the chance to get to know each other properly before they became a family with young lives depending on them.

“And you are remarkably talented at changing the subject,” Steve said with a pointed smile at his boyfriend, who had the decency to look a little ashamed that he had tried to dodge the question. “Harry…” he said with a tired sigh, “you honestly don’t have to tell me anything but one day, hopefully soon, I do want to know. I want to know everything.” 

Steve wanted to share everything with Harry, the good and the bad, though he could see how difficult it was for his boyfriend to open up about who he was and his past. The super soldier had a feeling that it had a lot to do with the amount of press that seemed to always be sniffing around him for a story. From the sounds of it this had been the case since Harry was a young boy, Steve couldn’t really blame him for being a little closed off about his past and hesitant about sharing personal details about himself. 

“I could buy you a book,” Harry said with a small laugh, thinking of Rita Skeeter's biography on his life, “there’s been one written all about my life. Harry Potter: All the Gory Details.” He had hated it at the time, however, after going through a long and arduous legal process with Rita Skeeter, Harry and the odious reporter had come to an agreement and he had agreed to contribute to the book that she would be writing. It hadn’t turned out too horribly and it was actually used as part of the History of Magic class at Hogwarts now. It also wasn’t a bad source of income, not that Harry needed it. 

“I think I would rather hear it from you,” Steve said, though thinking that he would actually quite like to read it one day. He was going to do whatever it took to make things work with Harry, he was in it for the long haul. Already fond of Teddy and fully in love with Harry, Steve found himself overly protective of his little family, nothing was going to stop him when it came to taking care of them. 

“I’ll tell you,” Harry said with a sad smile, thinking that it was something that Steve was going to have to know eventually; however, it was not for now. “We have a rather intense evening tonight so I think it’s a story best saved for another time,” he explained and Steve nodded his head in understanding, knowing that Harry was right, besides, there were other things that they could be doing with the last few hours before they had to be at the Ministry for Magic. 

“Then how about we spend the last few hours before we go having a little one on one time,” Steve suggested, picking Harry up off the floor so that the wizard could wrap his legs around his waist. Harry didn’t answer, instead threading his fingers into his boyfriend’s hair to pull him in for a passionate kiss. He was never going to get enough of kissing his super soldier or feeling the large, muscular arms around him, Harry was already growing hard just thinking about what they were going to be doing. 

“Sorry to interrupt,” Clint said from the doorway into the kitchen, Teddy giggling a little just behind him, “but you have a visitor, Harry.” Breaking the kiss, Harry turned to see that Teddy had turned his hair blue to match Clint’s and was currently enjoying riding piggy back on the archer. His eyes were alight with mischief and very clearly he found it rather funny finding Harry and Steve in such a position. 

“Really?” Harry asked, not sure who it could be; they had a few hours before they were due to head to the Ministry so he doubted very much that it would be Draco already. “Who?” he asked as he wiggled for Steve to put him down, the super soldier reluctantly doing so and following his boyfriend as he went to investigate who it was, Clint and Teddy leading the way. 

Sat at the breakfast bar, looking a little out of place and not to mention a little worried as Natasha was standing over him, her arms folded across her chest, glaring, was Ron. Harry stopped at the sight of him, not having expected to see his best friend there, not after the way he and Hermione had left the evening before. He honestly hadn’t blamed them for not wanting to be part of his reckless schemes any more, after all he was trying to get out too for the sake of his rapidly growing family. 

“What are you doing here?” Harry asked in complete astonishment. He had come to a complete stop just inside of the door, Steve almost colliding with him it had been so sudden. As it was the super soldier had stopped himself just in time, resting a hand on Harry’s hip and smiling at the sight of the red haired man, knowing that Harry would need his friends. He was glad that Ron had come back, he knew Harry had been rather hurt when his friends had left, though he wouldn’t say any thing, Steve had just known.

“I couldn’t just abandon you,” Ron said, seemingly glad to see his friend, getting to his feet and heading over towards Harry and Steve, feeling rather uncomfortable under the suspicious gaze of Natasha Romanoff. “You’re trying to get what I already have and I shouldn’t punish you for that; you guys seem really happy together and what you’re doing for Teddy, I can’t fault you for because I’m not sure I would be able to do the same.” He had done a lot of thinking in the hour that he had been sat in the kitchen, no one had spoken to him so it had given him plenty of opportunity and he wanted Harry to know that he wasn’t going to abandon him and he felt ashamed that he had the night before. 

“Yeah you would,” Harry said with a smile, having no doubt about how good a person his friend was. “Are you sure you want to come with us tonight? You honestly don’t have to.” He wanted Ron there with him, he wanted all of the Avengers too come to that but he knew that it might be too risky for that. However, he didn’t want this to do any damage to Ron and Hermione’s relationship, and it was fairly clear that she had not come with her husband. Harry had known that it was a lot to ask to have Ron with him tonight, too much. 

“You think I’m really going to leave you with Malfoy and your new boyfriend?” Ron asked with a laugh, “I think you need someone who doesn’t fancy you,” he added with a smug smile. He was never sure if Harry knew about Draco’s little crush, or just didn’t want to believe it or simply couldn’t. To Ron, however, it was painfully clear and Hermione even thought that it might be him sending some of the little gifts and flowers all the time; of course they had no proof and didn’t want to cause trouble so they didn’t say anything about it. Harry trusted Draco and that was enough for them, though they didn’t approve entirely. 

Harry looked rather confused at this. “Draco doesn’t fancy me,” he said dismissively, not believing it for a second; however, Ron just laughed a little at this causing Steve to frown. “He’s my healer and a friend, I guess,” Harry said, shaking his head, the idea of Draco having a crush on him seeming a little ridiculous. He couldn’t believe that Draco felt anything other than friendship for him, not after everything that the two of them had been through together. 

“Yeah, right,” Ron said with a roll of his eyes, “but that’s not why we’re here, what’s the plan for this evening?” The redhead could see that Steve did not seem too pleased about this little development and he knew that now was not the time to discuss it. There were other more pressing issues to deal with first and he was feeling as if he had just put his foot in it a little bit with the new couple. 

“We’ll discuss that later,” Steve said firmly to Harry as they all moved through the house and into the dining room so that they could sit and talk. The only issue they had was that Teddy was still perched on Clint’s back, rather enjoying having the lift. “Shall we discuss this evening?” 

“No,” Harry said at once, “Draco isn’t here yet and this isn’t a conversation I want Teddy to listen in on,” he added firmly, looking to Steve, hoping that he would agree with him, at least about the Teddy issue. Though Harry didn’t want for Draco to become an issue between them either. 

“Okay,” Steve said, knowing that Harry was right, Teddy shouldn’t be included in the conversation about what was going to be happening at the Ministry. “I’m going to go and check in with Stark and Banner, see how they’re getting on with the device to contain the sphere and make sure everything is prepared for tonight.” 

“I can take Teddy to Hermione if you like,” Ron offered as Harry watched Steve leave the room, clearly needing a few moments to himself, “I know she won’t mind take care of him for the night with Rose; it would mean that all you guys are free to figure everything out without having to worry about him.” 

“Actually that would be amazing,” Harry said to his friend with a grateful smile before glancing over to Teddy. The nine year old was still on Clint’s back, the archer barely noticing that the young boy was there at all, but there was a worried frown on Teddy’s face. “Is that alright with you, Teddy? Would you like to stay with Auntie Hermione and Rose?” Harry asked. He could see that Teddy was unsure, and wanted to be certain that the young boy was alright with this; he never wanted for Teddy to feel as if he was being sent away. 

Teddy’s frown deepened, not wanting to leave Harry or the others. “You are coming back?” he asked, sounding a bit worried. He was a little scared that Harry just wouldn’t come back for him; he wanted to stay and help and prove how useful he could be, he didn’t want to be a burden to them. 

“Of course,” Harry said without hesitation, watching as Teddy wiggled to be put down, Clint lowering himself to the ground so that he could put the nine year old on his own two feet. Harry welcomed Teddy into his arms as the young boy approached him, “of course I’m going to come back for you.” 

“You’re not going to die?” Teddy asked sadly, looking up at Harry with his emerald eyes brimming with tears. He didn’t want for Harry to die, he was happy, he liked being with Harry and Steve. With his Grandmother now dead, he was running out of family that would accept him, he knew that he was a little bit of a freak, his dad had been a werewolf and his grandmother had been a little scared that he might one day transform. She had told him that other people might not be so understanding of how unique he was.

“Teddy,” Harry said, going down on his knees so that he was at more or less at teddy’s level, “I’m not going anywhere, once tonight is over with I’m not leaving you again. We’re going to be a family, you, me, Steve and the babies, that much I can promise you.” 

Without saying anything, Teddy threw his arms around Harry’s neck and hugged him. “Okay,” he said quietly, “I’ll stay with Aunt Hermione,” he added, squeezing Harry tightly, not wanting to let him go. 

“Let’s pack some of your things,” Harry suggested, thinking that it would be for the best if Teddy was involved in the process. He didn’t want to to be like he was sending him away, and really didn’t want for the young boy to feel as if he wasn’t wanted at all; Harry knew what that felt like. 

Detaching himself from his godfather, Teddy nodded his head, though he stayed close, not wanting to be separated from Harry any sooner than he had to be. Harry stood up and offered his hand to Teddy, which the nine year old took quickly, smiling up at him, and he led Teddy from the room, the two of them heading upstairs together. 

\-----------------x 

Half an hour later and Ron had taken Teddy to Hermione. He said that he would make sure that the nine year old was settled and happy before he came back. Knowing that Steve had needed a little space, Harry had retreated back to their room. There was little point in discussing strategy or planning when two of the team weren’t present. 

Harry knew that he and Steve were going to have to have a conversation about Draco, now that Ron had made, what in Harry’s mind were, crazy accusations. Sure they had slept together the once but it had only been one time and yes, the sex had been amazing, but it hadn’t meant anything, at least to him it hadn’t and that was all there was to it. 

Coming out of the shower in just a towel, Harry found that Steve was sat on their bed waiting for him and he was looking rather handsome too, dressed in his dark blue leather Captain America suit. It gave Harry some rather wicked ideas of a few things they could do together while Steve was wearing it. 

“Wow,” Harry said with a low whistle, “not very subtle but...wow.” Steve couldn’t help but smile a little at his boyfriend’s reaction, grabbing hold of the younger man as he came over and pulling him on to his lap. “What are you doing?” Harry questioned with a small giggle, his towel hanging on precariously. 

“Does he like you?” Steve growled a little possessively, rolling them over so that he was pinning Harry to the bed, the towel only just covering Harry’s dignity. “Draco,” the super soldier clarified when Harry looked a little confused about the question, “does he like you?”

“I don’t know,” Harry said honestly, his heart hammering in his chest at the close proximity of his lover, he wasn’t scared, perhaps a little intimidated but he found that he rather liked it. “I’ve never given it much thought,” he added, making sure that he maintained eye contact with the older man. 

“Have you slept with him?” Steve demanded to know, appretiating his boyfriend’s truthful words now; he could tell just how nervous Harry was by the beating of his heart, however, he could also feel the younger man’s erection starting to grow against him so he wasn’t too concerned that he was scaring him. 

“Yes,” Harry told him truthfully. He did not see the point in lying, it wouldn’t have felt right to do so and Harry didn’t want to lie to Steve. He wanted for their relationship to be built on trust and honesty and that was never going to happen if they started to bend the truth and hide things from one another. Steve knew about his rather dubious sexual history and Harry saw no harm in confirming that he had indeed slept with Draco. 

 

Cursing, Steve rolled off of his boyfriend, sitting on the edge of the bed, head in his hands, so that he wasn’t looking at Harry, who slowly sat up himself, tucking the towel around his waist slightly more securely before moving to place kisses upon his lover’s neck. 

“Don’t,” Steve said gently, shrugging Harry off, the younger man going back on his knees feeling a little hurt at the rejection. “Why didn’t you tell me about this?” 

“Steve…” Harry said with a sigh, unsure where this reaction had come from. He had slept with a lot of people, Draco was one of them, it really wasn’t a big deal to him and he wasn’t sure why Steve was taking it the way he was. “I honestly didn’t think that it mattered, you knew about how I was before you…” 

“But him? Someone you still see, still have regular contact with, the only person you trust to tend to our children and apparently he still has feelings for you,” Steve said, feeling irrationally jealous over all of this. Draco took care of Harry in a way that he never could and that bothered Steve a lot, especially now that he knew it hadn’t always been platonic between Harry and Draco. 

“It was one night, we were both extremely drunk and it was two years ago,” Harry said, trying to reason with his boyfriend. He didn’t want this to come between the two of them, he honestly saw no reason why it should but clearly Steve was taking this very badly. “It didn’t mean anything to me,” these last few words passing Harry’s lips in a quiet desperation. 

“But it apparently did to him,” Steve said, turning now to look at Harry, hearing how upset that he was at this. He didn’t want to hurt his boyfriend and he certainly didn’t want to end their relationship over this, he just wanted to know where he stood. 

“So what if it did?” Harry asked, moving so that he was off of the bed and kneeling in front of his boyfriend. “And I’m not so sure that Ron knows what he’s talking about if we’re honest but regardless, what does it matter if it did mean something to him? It meant nothing to me, the only thing that matters to me is you and our family, nothing else.” As he said this, Harry made sure that he looked into Steve’s eyes, wanting the super soldier to realise just how much he meant to him. 

“Now who’s the romantic sap?” Steve said with a smile, reaching down and pulling Harry up and into a tight hug. Harry was right of course, it didn’t matter whether or not Draco liked Harry like that, what mattered was how Harry felt and that was perfectly clear. Though, Steve couldn’t help but remain a little jealous of the bond that Harry and Draco shared, the history and the trust between them was strong but then they had known each other for many years and fought side by side in a war as he understood it. 

“So, as sexy as you being all jealous and possessive is, are you going to trust me now?” Harry asked, rather enjoying being in the arms of his boyfriend, his arms wrapping around the older man’s neck, not caring any longer if the towel was to fall open, though as of yet it had not. 

“Harry,” Steve said with a rather tiresome sigh, “I saw that store in Diagon Alley selling t-shirts declaring that the wearer shagged you, I do trust you but I’m not going to stop being jealous,” he said, giving his boyfriend a rather pointed look. At the time he hadn’t wanted to make a fuss about it, they had been having a lovely day with Teddy and he hadn’t wanted to spoil it but it was certainly starting to sink in just how promiscuous Harry had been. This had never been a secret but there was a certain difference between being told and seeing the evidence of it with his own eyes.

“Oh, you saw them,” Harry said flushing bright red, they were parts of his merchandising that he absolutely hated and was still campaigning to get rid of, however so far he had been rather unsuccessful in his attempts. “Well at least you're honest about being jealous over it,” he added with a small smile. “There isn’t going to be anybody else though Steve, it’s just you because… well… I love you.”

“I know,” Steve said with a small smile, glad that Harry had finally shared it with him when he wasn’t on the verge of being unconscious, “you told me the other night right before you fell asleep but I didn’t think that you’d remember that. Though I am never going to tire of hearing you say it,” he added, wanting to make it very clear that he was perfectly happy to hear Harry say it several times a day, as long as it was true of course. 

“I did?” Harry asked, rather confused by this, trying to think when it could have been because Steve was right, he was struggling to recall it. “I said it for the first time and I missed it,” Harry said with a rather cute pout and a frown, crossing his arms over his chest. It was so cute in fact that Steve couldn’t help but smile, pulling Harry closer into him and kissing him. 

\--------------x

Getting ready for the mission had been a little problematic for Harry as he didn’t have a special Avenger’s outfit and he didn’t really want to go in his wizarding robes he had worn as an auror, they were never the easiest to maneuver in. He had opted for jeans and a t-shirt, which Steve had certainly appreciated judging by the purpling-red love mark on his collar bone. The two of them had stumbled down the stairs, giggling like school girls, having made the adult decision not to remain in their room, knowing that if they did then there was going to be a lot of sex going on and they didn’t want to tire themselves out before they left. 

The two of them found some of the others in the kitchen, gathered around the breakfast bar. Clint and Natasha were quite obviously missing from the group but Ron was back and Draco too had arrived. Tony and Bruce had also resurfaced and had placed their creation in the centre of the group for all to see. Tony, however, was less focused on what he had just created and more interested in Draco, who was shifting rather uncomfortably in his seat and jumped up the moment Harry arrived. 

“Harry, I was wondering where you were,” Draco said rather eagerly, rushing to greet the two of them as they entered the room, leaning in towards Harry and adding with a whisper; “we’re not taking him to the Ministry are we?” he asked gesturing subtly over to Tony. 

“Tony?” Harry asked, looking over to where Draco had motioned as Steve put an arm around his waist and pulled them a little closer together, possessively so, “No, he’ll be staying here, magic doesn’t react well with the arc reactor he has.” Harry couldn’t help but smile in amusement as Draco breathed a sigh of relief that this; the healer was not used to such attentions from other people. He had liked Harry for so long that he had failed to notice when anyone else had shown an interest in him; however, Tony was not one to be subtle. 

“Arc what?” Draco asked, his brow furrowing in confusion as Harry and Steve took seats around the breakfast bar, Draco choosing to remain standing a little too close to Harry for Steve’s liking. Though for Draco, this was only an attempt to keep some distance from Tony, whose blatant flirting had made him a little uncomfortable. 

“Glowy thing in his chest,” Harry clarified as he shot Tony a sweet smile, realising that the billionaire had gone from being unhealthily obsessed with watching him and Steve to now being a little taken with Draco, which Harry thought rather sweet. He wasn’t sure why the healer was so resistant to the advances but he knew that he was going to encourage the attraction between the two men; Harry wanted to see Draco happy and it would mean that Steve might relax around Draco a little more too. 

Steve, however, was not in the mood to deal with the wizarding healer, certainly not after the talk he and Harry had just had up in their room about him. Losing his patience a little as Draco leaned in to whisper something else in Harry’s ear, Steve rather forcibly pushed Draco away from them, though he was careful to watch the amount of strength he used, not wanting to hurt him too badly. 

“What the hell?” Draco said, a little stunned by that had happened. “What was that for?” he asked, looking very confused. He had no idea where Steve had got this attitude from when it came to him, he had certainly done nothing wrong and he didn’t think he had pissed the super soldier off at all. He was slightly concerned when he saw Bruce back off out of the fray, not wanting to get involved in what was going on, that was never going to be a good sign. 

“I’m just reminding you which one of us was the one night stand,” Steve said with a snarl as he got to his feet, towering over Draco of course, who was easily a head shorter than the super soldier. Harry had had no idea that after their talk, Steve would react quite so badly to seeing Draco again and he was kind of wishing that Clint and Natasha were here to help defuse the situation a little or to at least step in and help stop any fights that might start. He was feeling a little light headed himself and that had nothing to do with the argument his friend and his boyfriend were having and everything to do with his body changing and adapting to the pregnancy. Either way, he wasn’t going to be separating brawling men any time soon. 

“Steve!” Harry exclaimed, trying to stand up but swaying a little as he did, having moved too fast and his body protesting at this. The only one to notice this was Ron, who came round to steady him and keep Harry on his feet. Steve was far too preoccupied with intimidating Draco to worry about the fact that Harry was almost falling over. 

“Yeah, we slept together once but that is the tip of the iceberg, we’re friends, we trust each other, I’ve known him for sixteen years, you’ve known him for five minutes,” Draco snapped back, keeping himself rather impressively composed as only a Malfoy could, “just because you knocked him up…” However, Draco never got a chance to finish what he was saying before Steve had thrown his fist back and punched him clean in the face. 

“Now that was hot,” Tony said, grabbing a tea towel as he came forward to help Draco up off the floor where he had landed as a result of the force behind the super soldier’s punch. Harry stepped in front of Steve to stop him from hitting Draco again because that had been exactly what Steve had wanted to do and Harry wasn’t going to allow him to do it. “It probably says something about me that I think that but I don’t care, it was seriously a turn on!” Tony said, holding the tea towel up to what was clearly a broken nose. 

“This evening could be a lot more fun than I thought,” Ron said with a laugh; he always did enjoy it when Draco got punched in the face. Hermione had done a rather good job of slapping him in their third year but this had been so much better than that. 

“Not helping Ron,” Harry said with a sigh, giving his best friend a rather exasperated look. He currently had both of his hands on Steve’s chest, the super soldier breathing heavily, fists still clenched glaring at Draco who was trying to stem the bleeding of his broken nose with the help of Tony. Usually, Steve was not one for unnecessary violence, but he would stand up for what he believed in and he believed that Harry was his and that Draco had stepped over the line in what he had said. 

“Would healing him be helpful?” Ron asked, removing his wand from his jeans pocket and twirling it between his fingers, “because that’s something I can do,” he added with a smile, knowing that it was going to sting to put Malfoy’s nose back the way it should be and Ron was going to take great pleasure in doing it just to cause the arrogant blond a little bit more pain. He was never going to get over his dislike of the aristocratic healer, too much had happened between their families, too many insults had passed between the two of them. Ron could not easily forgive what Draco had done to him and Hermione over the years and he wasn’t sure how Harry could. It was an age old argument that they had laid to rest, agreeing to disagree on the matter. 

“Yes but Tony, please get as far away as possible first, we don’t want your reactor reacting badly to this,” Harry said quickly before Ron could do any magic. They didn’t want a repeat of what had happened in Avenger’s tower when George had apperated him and Loki inside. Harry wanted to protect all of them as much as possible, he was remarkably fond of everyone in the room and wouldn’t see any of them hurt if he could help it. 

“Sure thing,” Tony agreed hastily, backing away from the wizards; he was not about to risk getting caught anywhere close to any spells they might cast and was all but out of the room when Ron pointed his wand at Draco, waved it, and muttered something that Tony couldn’t make out. Though he did watch curiously as the broken nose cracked back into place and the young blond wizard gave a small yelp of pain, still holding up the cloth that was stopping the blood flow. Tony couldn’t help but think that with all the strenght that Steve had thanks to the serum, Draco was lucky that a broken nose was the worst of his injuries. It could have been a whole lot worse, clearly Steve had been holding back a little. 

Draco reached up, feeling his own nose rather tenderly to make sure it was as it was supposed to be and that Ron hadn’t done something to it to make him look like an idiot, and once seemingly satisfied that everything was at it should be, he gave a curt nod in Ron’s direction. There was certainly no love lost between these two and it would always bother Harry that two of his closest friends would never be able to get along, though it seemed that a lot of the people closest to him couldn’t stand Draco. 

“Yeah, you’re welcome,” Ron said drily, when Draco said nothing more, crossing his arms over his chest in a huff as he took his seat at the breakfast bar again, Harry encouraging Steve to do the same, though this time separating the two of them a little. The super soldier didn’t allow for Harry to take a seat though, instead pulling him on to his lap, wanting to keep him close, one hand going to rest on Harry’s stomach making Harry smile a little at the sweet gesture. Tony, having re entered the room now that he was sure there was no magic to nearly kill him, took up a spot next to Draco and taking the opportunity to look him over, made sure the bleeding had stopped and that he was clean of blood. 

“Perhaps we should finish explaining about the containment device,” Bruce suggested hopefully, looking a little uncomfortable with all the tension in the room. He had rather wisely backed off at the start of the fight and stayed well away from all the drama. The last thing that any of them needed right now, hours before they went into the field to retrieve the sphere, was the big guy making an appearance, especially because of a little disagreement like that. 

“Yes,” Tony agreed, coming back into the centre of the room now that he was sure there was no magic to mess with the arc reactor. “But first, I think Harry needs to suit up, after all he is an Avenger now, we all have our suits in a way, as one of us, he needs one too,” he said with a wink in Harry’s direction, something that had Steve glaring at Stark in a rather threatening manner. He already had one competitor when it came to Harry, he didn’t want another.

“Suit up?” Harry asked, feeling a little confused. He didn’t have a suit, not like the others did at least, he wasn’t sure what he was meant to change into if Tony didn’t want him wearing his jeans and t-shirt that he had put on for the mission. Though, then again, Harry didn’t want to think too closely on what Tony didn’t want him to wear because he knew to ask that question was to get a rather sassy, sexual response, in true Stark style. 

“You are one of us,” Tony reiterated grabbing a pile of clothing from one of the vacant stools and sliding them across the breakfast bar to Harry before also retrieving the boots for him. Harry looked at it in absolute amazement, it was all dark green and black leather and as he picked up the firm, stretchy fabric of the top, he looked to Tony curiously, seeing that it had extra protective panels over the stomach. “It’s to give extra support and protection,” Tony explained with a shrug, “for when you’re all huge.” 

“Thank you,” Harry said with a grin, removing his t-shirt in one quick motion, much to the dismay of Steve and the pleasure of Tony and Draco, who couldn’t look anywhere else. It clearly took a lot of effort for Steve not to say anything as Harry pulled on the black, rather form fitting, stretchy t-shirt. It fit perfectly everywhere and the extra protective panel across his stomach certainly supported him as Tony said that it would and it gave Harry a little extra peace of mind too. “You realise I need an Avenger’s name now too,” he said, mostly joking about this. 

“If you’re putting the rest of it on then do it in another room,” Steve said quickly before any of the names could be suggested and before Harry could strip off any further. Harry had been reaching for the rest of the suit that Tony had made him and Steve could see from where he was sitting that it was going to be rather form fitting suit, just like his own was. Steve would trust Tony to fight with him, to protect him even but he wasn’t going to trust him to dress his boyfriend in something that didn’t show off all of his assets. 

Harry laughed, pressing a quick kiss to Steve’s lips, trying to make light of the situation but knowing just how tense Steve was about it. Harry hadn’t even thought twice before stripping off in front of everyone, he had nothing to hide or be ashamed of, Steve, however, didn’t seem to like anyone else ogling him, though he didn’t think that anyone had. 

“What about Captain Cool?” Ron said with a snigger, thinking himself to be hilariously funny with his suggestion; Harry simply rolled his eyes at his friends thoughts on his new nickname, not thinking him to be very funny at all. He had been joking about being given a superhero name but now he seemed that he was going to be getting one whether he liked it or not. 

“What about the sex fiend?” Tony suggested with a laugh, which only caused Steve to grab a near by spoon and hurtle it unceremoniously towards Tony who ducked out of the way with spectacular ease with no regrets about what he had just said. To Steve though it was yet another reminder that Tony had spent a good deal of time pleasuring himself to videos of him and Harry going at it. 

“Guys,” Harry said quickly, “I was joking about this, I don’t need a nickname,” he tried to reason, however the others weren’t having any of it. Harry was part of their team and therefore needed an alias to use when he joined them in saving the world. S.H.I.E.L.D wasn’t going to let Harry leave them now that they had a wizard in their ranks. 

“What about Captain UK?” Bruce suggested with a wry smile, thinking it rather cute that Harry and Steve’s alias’ would compliment each other. He certainly believed that the two of them were a rather sweet couple, though he did want to get Harry alone at some point to pick his brains about some of the possibilities of magic. He had exhausted most scientific avenues available to him when it came to controlling the big guy but magic opened up a world of new opportunities that he was desperate to explore. 

“No,” Harry said at once, “really, really, no,” he added, nudging Steve in the ribs as the super soldier continued to snigger at some of the suggestions that they were all coming out with, Ron had continued his brainstorming and had come out with a fair few naff ones that were never going to stick. Draco, rather wisely, was keeping himself out of this particular conversation; he didn’t think that his suggestion of The Emerald God would go down too well with Steve right now. 

“We could just keep calling you Casanova,” Tony suggested with a wink in Harry’s direction, “you didn’t seem to mind that nickname a few weeks back,” he added with a smug smile, knowing just how well Steve was going to take that suggestion. Tony was not afraid of Steve, he knew that if he put on his suit then he could match the strength of the super soldier. Besides, he meant no harm in his words, he just rather enjoyed messing with Steve. 

“Or we keep it simple,” Steve said, nuzzling into Harry’s neck, enjoying being close to him, “you can be called Merlin,” he suggested in all seriousness, thinking that the name kind of fit for Harry. With all his magic and his amazing qualities, Steve felt as if there was no other name better for his boyfriends alias. 

“Guys, I’m not sure I’m comfortable with that,” Harry said, thinking of the legend that Merlin was to the wizarding world and even though he hadn’t been raised thinking in that way, it was still something that he had grown used to in his many years in the wizarding world. He didn’t even know how to begin to explain how his world perceived the legendary wizard. 

“I think there would be uproar if you tried to call yourself Merlin,” Ron said with a small laugh and a shake of his head. The wizarding world revered the famous wizard as something akin to a religious figurehead, despite Harry’s insane popularity, he wasn’t a religious leader and nor did he want to be. 

“Agreed,” Draco said quietly, thinking that it really wouldn’t suit Harry’s mentality to take up the mantle of a man revered for a lot of different reasons than Harry was, “though why not call yourself Blackbird?” he suggested. The many of them gathered around the room shared rather confused looks, trying to see if anyone else was following the blond’s logic. “The meaning of the name Merlin in french is Blackbird,” he explained to them when they all continued to look a little lost as to how he had come to this name. “You love to fly, your hair is black, I think it would suit you well.” 

“What do you think, Cap?” Harry asked, looking to his boyfriend for his opinion. He actually really liked the idea of his superhero alias being Blackbird if he was going to have one and it seemed that he didn’t have a choice in the matter now, however after the altercation with Draco and Steve, he didn’t want to agree too quickly to Draco’s suggestion. 

“I think it’s perfect for you,” Steve said, though he did so reluctantly, not liking that it had been Draco to think of this name but still liking it regardless. “The Blackbird has joined the ranks of the Avenger’s,” Steve added with a smile, taking Harry’s head into his hands and kissing him for all that he was worth. 

“Before you two get carried away,” Tony said, a little louder than was really necessary, wanting to get the couple’s attention before they got too involved in what they were doing, “which you know I always enjoy watching,” he added with a smirk, “should we not get ready to go?” 

“Clint and Natasha are still getting ready,” Bruce said, though they all knew that the two of them were not simply getting ready, they were doing a lot more than that, it was probably the worst kept secret in the Avengers. They all knew that they shouldn’t have been doing it and that Director Fury would never have approved of their actions and they all knew better than to discuss what was going on. Steve certainly didn’t want to, not after he had witnessed it himself. 

Steve ignored the rest of them, standing up and carrying Harry almost effortlessly with a single arm, the super soldier made a grab for the remainder of the uniform Tony had created, including the boots, before heading for the door. He would make sure that Harry was properly dressed for their mission and ready to leave without anyone else ogling him. 

\--------------x

It had been a painstaking hour after Harry had changed, needing to know exactly how the device that Tony and Bruce had created worked so that he could safely store the sphere inside of it. Neither of them would be going on the mission, it was too risky for them to be there but it would mean that the others would have to know how to work the device. Tony, however, had had trouble keeping his comments about how attractive Harry was looking to himself. 

In all truth, Harry was feeling extremely uncomfortable in his new suit, not because it didn’t feel right but because he wasn’t used to it. The trousers were skin tight and the jacket wasn’t much better over the stretchy fabric of the t-shirt. When Natasha had reappeared she had been wearing something similar and Harry had had to ask her how she coped and even she had to admit that she found it a lot easier to fight in it than regular street clothes. 

With the team assembled and ready for action, Harry had strapped the device to his back, Tony having been smart enough to enable the device to be transportable. Steve hadn’t been happy about Harry being the one to carry it, but he knew that it made sense seeing as Harry was the only one who would be able to retrieve the sphere. He might not have intended to leave Harry’s side but he couldn’t carry his Shield on his back as well as the device to contain the sphere.

Harry and Steve were to use the floo network to get into the Ministry, Draco and Ron were going to take Natasha and Clint and apperate in. With the wards down it left them very exposed, the only ward left standing would be the shield between the muggle world and the wizarding world. It was the only ward that they couldn’t risk falling, which was why each of the Avenger’s needed to be escorted in by someone with magic. 

Tony had made himself scarce, thinking that it was best for him to be anywhere other than where they were about to use magical methods of travel. Bruce was there though, standing with his arms folded across his chest looking a little concerned. These people had become something akin to family to him, he didn’t like sending them off into such uncertainty. 

Draco was paired with Clint, Ron with Natasha. Steve and Harry were stood by the fireplace, Harry holding a bag of floo powder in his hand. He was trying to listen to Draco’s instructions and not apparate any more, he was trying to do the right thing by his children, however he had a sinking feeling in his stomach that something wasn’t quite right. 

“Be careful,” Bruce said, his tone deadly serious. He wished that he could have been going with them but this was not a mission for The Hulk, there was no reason for the big guy to be unleashed in this instance. It was a simple in and out mission, but he had a feeling that it wasn’t going to be as easy as that, it never was. 

“We will be,” Steve said, giving Harry a rather pointed look. He wasn’t going to let Harry be reckless, he was going to be staying with him every step of the way without question. If he could help it then this was going to be the last mission that Harry worked on and then he could maybe even enjoy his pregnancy. 

“Yes,” Harry agreed, “we will be,” he added, giving his boyfriend a small smile, leaning into him. He didn’t feel as if he was ready for this but the goal at the end of it was too big an achievement not to go for it, regardless of his fears. 

“In and out, right,” Ron said, he too was a little apprehensive about what they were about to do. He had promised Hermione that he would make it back in one piece, it was a promise that he intended to keep too, he wanted to get back to his wife and daughter as soon as he could. 

“Let’s just get this over with,” Clint said, gripping his bow tightly in one hand, unsure how this was going to go down. He glanced over to Natasha and gave her a small nod, which was as much emotion that ever passed between the two of them. 

“We’ll see you there,” Harry said, stepping into the fireplace and pulling Steve in beside him. Draco gave him a long glance, making sure his grip on Clint was secure. He knew that Steve was going to protect Harry no matter what the cost was but that didn’t mean he couldn’t worry about him regardless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this new chapter :) What did you think of Harry's avenger's alias? I've finished the next chapter, it just needs to be edited but as I say I'm working on finishing this story before too long so I can focus on Primal Legacy and Fragmented Soul. Don't forget to leave a review and let me know your thoughts on the chapter.


	25. Inside the Ministry of Magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Battle of the Ministry of Magic begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The start of the end...

Harry had never been the most gracious when it came to travelling by floo and this occasion was no different. He fell out of the fire place and on to the floor before Steve could react and catch him. The super soldier sighed, shaking his head as he stepped out of the fireplace, maneuvering himself so that he could pick his boyfriend up, off the floor and make sure that he was alright. 

“That’s not a great start to being careful,” Steve grumbled as he offered a hand to Harry to pick him up from the floor. The wizard was feeling rather grateful for the protective layering that Tony had put into his suit to protect his unborn children. Though Harry hadn’t thought that it would protect them against his own clumsiness. 

“This isn’t where we’re meant to be,” Harry said, looking around in confusion as he accepted the hand from his boyfriend that helped him up off the floor. They appeared to be in an office but it was unlike any that he had known at the Ministry. It certainly wasn’t anything that was in the Auror office, this was somewhere else. 

“You said the Atrium, are you telling me this isn’t it?” Steve asked; when he had first appeared here he hadn’t thought that where they had ended up was the right place, however, he had been far more concerned with making sure Harry was alright. Now that the others were not joining them, Steve was starting to realise that this was not going to be as simple as he first thought. 

“No, this is an office,” Harry said with a frown, looking around and trying to get some clues as to where they had ended up, “though I’m not sure where we are,” he added, going over to the desk that was scattered with an array of peculiar trinkets and a mass of paper work. Glancing over some of what was there made Harry rather concerned, though at least they were in the right place. “Steve, don’t touch anything,” Harry said at once, realising exactly what part of the Ministry of Magic they had landed in. 

“What, why?” Steve asked, a little panicked at the tone of voice Harry used, thinking that they were in some form of danger. He instantly began looking around to see if he could see any of the potential threats; however, this was all new territory for him, he wasn’t used to magic and had no idea if he would even be able to fight it. 

“We’re in the department of mysteries,” Harry explained quietly, as if speaking loudly would disturb the items all around them, feeling rather concerned about why they had ended up here. “We’re exactly where we need to be,” he added though he didn’t sound pleased about this. It might have been where they needed to be but it wasn’t where they had been aiming for and getting this deep into the Ministry via the outside floo network was not meant to be possible. 

“Why is that a bad thing?” Steve asked, thinking that it might have made their jobs a little easier, though in his experience that was never a good thing and it also meant that they were separated from the others who had no idea where they were. 

“Because this is where Loki wants me and we’ve been transported straight here, away from the others,” Harry said, looking at Steve with concern. “I don’t think that was an accident.” 

\------x

Something had gone very wrong when trying to apparate into the Ministry and both Ron and Draco had been stopped, neither of them were sure by what but it had been hard and painful. It was almost as if a ward had been erected and bounced them out, like someone was trying to keep them from getting inside. The four of them had ended up laying on the ground in a muggle street; Ron, however, had not been left unscathed. 

When he and Natasha had bounced out from the Ministry and been thrown on to the pavement, Ron had focused all of his energy on keeping Natasha out of harm’s way. If it came to to it then he knew that he could go to St Mungo’s, Natasha wouldn’t be so lucky. She would have been fortunate to escape with her memory in tact. As a result of his chivalry, his left leg had been badly splinched, a lot of the skin and even some of the muscle completely removed. 

It was perhaps a stroke of luck that they hadn’t landed in a populated part of the city, they were a fair way from the main streets and luckily it seemed that very few muggles were close by, which was beneficial considering that Ron was trying his hardest not to scream in agony. Draco had acted quickly and erected temporary wards around them almost immediately, thinking that they needed cover from not only the muggles, but also whatever had been powerful enough to refuse them entrance to the Ministry, before he could heal Ron. 

“What’s wrong with him?” Natasha asked as Draco dropped to his knees beside Ron, wand drawn, using it to open the fabric on the red-head’s jeans and reveal the damage that had been done. Both Clint and Natasha were covering him, not understanding the nature of the wards Draco had put up, the two of them making sure that no one was sneaking up on them to ambush them while they were preoccupied with Ron’s injury.

“Splinched,” Draco said to them, though he was a little distracted. There wasn’t a lot that he could do with just his wand, this wasn’t an injury that could be fixed with wand work. There were potions and ointments that needed to be administered, and the best he was going to be able to do was bind the wound until he could get him to St Mungos. 

“What happened?” Clint demanded, his weapon at the ready. He had no idea what was going on but he knew that this was not how things were meant to happen, something had gone horribly wrong, they didn’t even know where Steve and Harry were. What was meant to be a simple mission was quickly becoming a lot more complicated. 

“The Ministry didn’t let us in,” Draco said as he conjured bandages, wrapping them around the damaged leg, knowing that it was going to be doing very little good other than to stop the bleeding. Ron needed medical attention that Draco couldn’t administer here. “It doesn’t make sense, the wards were down, we should have been able to get in; whatever happened it wasn’t anyone on our side that did it. We need to get in there and find Harry and Steve.” 

“How do we get in?” Clint asked, a sense of urgency in his tone. He heard every word that Draco had said and knew that they had to get inside and quickly. Nothing about this felt right anymore, they needed to get into the Ministry and find Harry and Steve before someone else got to them first. It felt a lot like someone was trying to separate them.

“You can’t,” Ron said with a pained groan, watching with clenched teeth as Draco bound his leg, stopping the bleeding but doing nothing against the pain of it. “You need to go in with someone magical,” he added, his vision becoming a little hazy. “You need to leave me,” he said, looking Draco straight in the eye, his breathing heavy. 

“Ron…” Draco said, unsure that this was a good idea. He may not have liked Ron much but that didn’t mean that he wanted to leave him here, unprotected, where anyone could find him. He wasn’t going to leave anyone behind if he could help it, it wasn’t what Harry would want. 

“No,” Ron growled out in frustration, “help Harry, get the job done,” he said with determination. His leg hurt like hell, as if it was engulfed in flame but they were here for a reason and as always the mission was more important. Ron had been an Auror, he might not have stuck at it but he had had the training and had been in the field several times, he knew what had to happen. “Go” he snapped, “you’ve put up wards in this area, no one is going to get to me, I’ll be fine, just go.” 

“Don’t die,” Draco said giving Ron a small nod, which the redhead returned. Getting to his feet, the healer motioned to Natasha and Clint who had been stood watching the exchange silently, knowing that it had a huge meaning to the two wizards. “This way,” Draco said, looking around for a moment and getting his bearings, trying to figure out where he was and figure out an alternative method into the Ministry.

“Where are we going?” Natasha asked, following Draco without question. Without him they didn’t have a hope in hell of finding a way in. To the Wizarding World they were muggles and the whole point of the Ministry and it’s statute of secrecy was to keep them out; without Draco there wasn’t any chance of them getting inside. 

“There are several access points into the Ministry,” Draco explained as they ran, “we can’t apparate in; however, whatever stopped us might not be blocking all of these access ways,” he said, rounding a corner and running towards a red phone booth.

“And if we can’t get in?” Clint asked as they ran, becoming rather confused when they came to a rather abrupt halt outside a red phone booth. He was still pretty new to all this magic business and it still confused him but he needed to know if there was a chance that they weren’t going to be able to get inside because he certainly didn’t see how a red phone box was going to help them. 

“We’ll get in,” Draco said firmly, unwilling to admit defeat on this. He wasn’t going to allow Harry to be left with only Steve as backup, as much as Draco trusted the super soldier to keep Harry safe, he was concerned that he wouldn’t be enough. 

“You want us to get inside?” Natasha asked when Draco opened the door to the phone box for them all to get inside. She didn’t look convinced that this was going to do any good, however, she had very little choice other than to trust Draco, there were no other options open to any of them right now. 

“Just trust me,” Draco said with urgency, getting rather on edge by the fact that Clint and Natasha were not moving fast enough. Granted he hadn’t explained to them why he wanted the three of them to cram themselves into a tiny space but he really didn’t have time to explain himself, they just needed them to move. 

Giving one another a rather dubious look, Natasha and Clint piled into the red phone booth, followed closely by Draco, who shut the door on them before reaching for the receiver, however with the positions they were in, he couldn’t quite reach the numbers to dial. 

“Now what?” Clint asked rather impatiently. He didn’t mind the fact that he was crammed in here with Natasha, it wasn’t like he hadn’t got up close and personal with her before, he just didn’t appreciate sharing these close quarters with Draco as well. 

“Dial, six, two, four, four, two,” Draco instructed; it was Natasha who reached around them and in put the numbers on the keypad and then they waited, Draco expected for the operator to start to speak, to ask them why they were here and to present them with name badges but it never happened. Instead, the phone booth started to descend and, with it, a sinking feeling in his gut told Draco that the wards being down had left the Ministry vulnerable and they were not going to be the only ones who had found it easy to gain access.

\-------x

“We need to complete the mission,” Harry said as Steve took hold of his wrist, trying to stop him from leaving the small office that they had arrived in. The super soldier wasn’t keen on them going anywhere now they knew that Loki was playing some role in their mission here. It had already gone so wrong and he wanted to protect his family. 

“Not at the expense of your life or the lives of…” Steve went to say but Harry clamped his hand over Steve’s mouth, stopping him from saying anything further. 

“Don’t,” Harry said firmly, he didn’t want to think about that right now, he couldn’t think about anything pertaining to his family right now, not if he wanted to keep his head focused on what had to be done. “Until this mission is over I’m not pregnant, we’re not together, we’re just soldiers, got it?” 

“You can’t ask that of me,” Steve said as Harry relinquished his hold, “I can’t do that, I can’t not protect you, you are more than just a soldier to me,” he said adamantly. There was no way that he could act as if Harry was any less than what he was, pretend as if Harry wasn’t carrying their children in his belly. It wasn’t something he could do. 

“Yes I can,” Harry said, looking at his boyfriend who seemed utterly lost at this request, but it was something that Harry needed from Steve, they couldn’t get through this as lovers they needed to do it as teammates, as soldiers, because they were all they had right now, they couldn’t count on the others. “We aren’t going to get through this if at the first sign of trouble you’re going to throw yourself in front of me. We’re both going to be reckless if we do this as two people that love one another.” 

“It doesn’t change the fact that I can’t pretend that I don’t care about you, that you don’t matter to me,” Steve said, refusing to put his boyfriend’s life at risk in anyway. He refused to look at him as if he was just a soldier, he cared about Harry far too much for that, it wasn’t something that he could do. He wasn’t sure he would be able to even without knowing that Harry was pregnant with their children. 

“Then here,” Harry said, digging in his pocket and bringing out a packet of floo powder and pushing it into Steve’s hands, “if you can’t do it then go back to Tony and Bruce, wait for me there,” he said stubbornly. 

“Harry…” Steve said, looking a little lost for words. He couldn’t believe that Harry would send him away in the middle of a mission, especially not when it was just the two of them and on some level he knew that Harry was more than aware that he would never leave him, not for any reason. 

Harry, however, didn’t let Steve finish what he was going to say, instead heading for the door, knowing that Steve wasn’t about to leave him. With his wand drawn, Harry opened the office door and stepped out into what he assumed to be the Department of Mysteries. He wasn’t an Unspeakable, Harry had never wanted to be one, though the choice had been there, so he didn’t know his way around this part of the Ministry as well as other parts but he had been down here several times and had even worked with a few Unspeakables in the past. 

What Harry didn’t know was if anyone other than themselves was down here. Glancing behind him he saw that his gut instinct about his boyfriend had been correct, Steve was following behind him. Even with his limited knowledge, Harry thought he knew where he was and that meant he knew where he was going. 

“So where are we going?” Steve asked as he removed his gun from its holder and prepared himself for what might be coming at them. He wasn’t sure how effective his gun was going to be against witches and wizards wielding wands and he didn’t recall them working very well against Loki either, however, it made him feel a little better, that along with the shield on his back. 

“Are you asking as a soldier or as my boyfriend?” Harry asked as he focused on the path ahead of him, looking out for any potential dangers. He might not have wanted for Steve to treat him any differently than he would treat Clint or Natasha but he still cared about him a great deal and he didn’t want to take any needless risks. 

“I’m just asking,” Steve said, neither confirming nor denying what he was trying to be in that moment. He refused to think of Harry as just another soldier, but he knew that Harry was right, they had to remain focused, they couldn’t compromise the mission because of their feelings for one another. 

“We’re going to where I stored the sphere,” Harry said with a sigh, realising that he wasn’t going to be able to get Steve to think in any other way and he couldn’t make him leave either. He had to trust that Steve knew what he was doing because they were all each other had. 

“You know where you’re going?” Steve asked hopefully. They had landed somewhere neither of them had expected, and so he had to ask, given he had no idea whether Harry knew where he was going or simply just making an educated guess. 

“I do,” Harry said as he reached the door that he needed, they really hadn’t been far from where they needed to be, which only served to be more suspicious to Harry. He was actually surprised that they hadn’t encountered anyone up until this point, despite Kingsley assuring them that the Ministry of Magic would be empty. He couldn’t shake the feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach, which, combined with everything that had gone wrong so far, meant he wasn’t at all sure that the Ministry was going to be as vacant as promised. “Ready?” 

“Ready,” Steve said with a nod as Harry prepared himself to open the door. Considering what was inside, it was not a door that was ever locked; everything inside had been placed there and protected by either a highly ranked Auror or an Unspeakable. If anyone gained access to it there was no way that they would be leaving the room with what they had been seeking, at least not alive. 

Taking a deep breath Harry turned the handle and opened the door, however, he didn’t go inside, he remained back, with Steve, in case anyone was on the other side of the door and was ready to attack. However, nothing came at them, everything remained quiet and still, nothing inside of the room moved. As Harry went to enter the room, Steve held up his hand to stop him, there was no way he was going to allow Harry to go first. 

Shaking his head, Harry stepped in front of Steve, he wasn’t about to let him go first, this place was his territory, the Ministry of Magic was a place that he felt comfortable, if this had been in the Triskelion then he would have allowed Steve to take charge. This was exactly what Harry had been afraid of, it was why he had asked Steve to take a more objective stance while they were on this mission, however, it seemed that he couldn’t do it. 

Giving the super soldier a stern and unhappy look, Harry entered into the room, his heart racing in his chest. The room itself was an endless room of dangerous objects that had all been magically protected individually by different people. Several of them Harry had placed here himself, but there was only one that he was interested in right now. 

Stepping deeper into the room, Harry could feel Steve at his back, not willing to go too far from him. He appreciated this, he really did but he also wished that his boyfriend could be anywhere other than here, somewhere safe but that was exactly the kind of thinking he had asked Steve to forget until the mission was finished. 

“Well,” a voice said from deep inside of the room, “it took you long enough.” 

\------------x 

“Do you know where you’re going?” Clint asked in frustration as the three of them entered into the Ministry, all of them on high alert. They were moving slowly through the Atrium of the Ministry, unsure about what or who could be waiting for them. It was frustrating for Draco because he knew that it was unlikely they would get to Harry and Steve in time. 

“Yes,” Draco said adamantly as he caught something out of the corner of his eye, “but we’re not going to make it,” he said as a jet of green light came shooting right for Natasha. If it hadn’t have been for Draco’s quick thinking and pushing her out of the way then she would have been hit. 

Clint fired off an arrow in the direction that the spell had come from as the three of them scrambled to get under cover as a jet of red light came for them this time, narrowly missing Draco, who ducked behind a pillar just in time. 

“What do we do?” Natasha asked, glancing over to where Clint was crouched behind a pillar next to them, an arrow sat in his bow, ready to be fired. Draco had his wand in hand, breathing heavy as he prepared himself for the fight, Natasha releasing her gun from it’s holster. The two Avenger’s were ready for battle, they always were, Draco on the other hand had chosen to go into healing for a reason, he was not cut out for situations like this. He half wished that he could have been back in the alley with Ron, at least he would have known what he was doing. 

“There can’t be many,” Clint reasoned, “if Loki had the manpower he would have attacked earlier or had more people guarding Teddy. The boy was his greatest asset so he would have guarded him with more than three men, I’m guessing we’re looking at about two, maximum three, we can handle that.” 

“Agreed,” Natasha responded, not missing the fact that Draco seemed nervous, scared and on edge. Draco was an asset to them, she knew that, but he was also a liability, he wasn’t going to be much use in the fight that was for sure. She had been under the impression that Draco had fought in a war but clearly she had been mistaken. 

“Can you see them?” Clint asked as another several jets of light hit the pillar he was hiding behind. Natasha risked a glance out from behind her cover, to see if she could see where they were being attacked from. As expected, their opposition took advantage, firing at her as she took a shot at them and as a result saw where one of them were hiding. 

“Behind the fountain, left balcony and right fireplace,” she said, lowering herself down into a crouching position, checking her weapon before signalling to Clint that she was ready. “Draco, you with us?” she asked when the healer didn’t move or make any move that he was ready to fight with them. 

“No,” Draco said honestly, there was no way that he was ready for this. He had been perfectly happy in his hospital, being the personal healer for Harry Potter, that had been the right side of the line for him when it came down to combat, more than happy to deal with the aftermath but not participate in the fight. He was not cut out for being in the field, for fighting the battles, he knew that he was too much of a coward. Hell, he was so much of a coward that he had harboured feelings for Harry for two years, sending him gifts and flowers instead of admitting how he felt. 

“Then get ready,” Clint snapped, getting tired of waiting on the blond, he wasn’t used to having soldiers hesitate on him. In their line of work hesitations got people killed. “I thought you fought in a war with Harry?” he challenged as more spells were fired in their direction. It was not a time for a cosy chit chat but Clint needed answers, he needed to know why Draco was letting them down because then he might be able to inspire some form of fighting spirit.

“We were children!” Draco snapped, “me, Harry, Ron, we were all children for that war, seventeen years old and sent off to battle to kill people,” he told them, fear in his eyes. He knew that he had been a coward then and he was just as much of one now. 

Natasha sighed, losing her patience with it, she had been younger than that when she had been started on the road that she was walking and she had little time for people who sobbed and cried about how unfortunate their lives were and their crappy childhoods, this was a fight and one that she was determined to win. She wasn’t going to let one man bring them down. 

“Fine,” she said in annoyance, “stay down and stay out of our way, Barton and I have handled much worse,” she said motioning to Clint that the countdown had begun. Three. Two. One…

\--------------x

“I should have known,” Harry said as they rounded a corner and saw Loki beaming at his own magnificence, leaning casually against one of the tall shelves, grinning manically to himself. Black hair slicked back out of his face and green eyes lit up with joy at seeing Harry stood before him. 

“That I would be waiting for you?” Loki asked, looking a little disappointed for a moment, “I am almost ashamed that you thought me predictable.” He raked his eyes up and down Harry’s body appreciatively, not forgetting how the young wizard had come on to him in Avenger’s tower when they had first met and the idea had been rather intriguing; however, there were bigger things that Loki had in mind for Harry. Though even someone as narcissistic as himself could see just how delightfully good Harry looked in his new suit.

“I’m more ashamed you thought I’d be stupid enough to get the sphere while you’re stood right next to me,” Harry said with a sneer, trying to ignore the fact that Steve was stood just behind him, tensed, gun in hand and ready to fight. Loki needed him alive, Steve, however, was not so lucky. 

“Ah, well, yes,” Loki said with a broad smile on his face, “but that is why Mr America’s here because love is the best form of weakness. You humans are just such… sentimental creatures,” he added as he pushed himself off the shelf and sauntered towards Harry, still looking at him in a hungry way. “Being an Avenger certainly suits you,” he said, licking his lips, he could see how much his actions were bothering Steve and he was rather enjoying taunting the super soldier. 

“Hurt him and I’ll never give you the sphere,” Harry said defiantly, ignoring the comments about how he looked; he had suffered through enough of those from Tony. Harry might have asked Steve to separate his feelings from the mission but when it came to it, it didn’t seem to be something that either of them could manage. Each of them meant too much to the other, though as long as Loki didn’t realise that it wasn’t just the two of them involved in this, and that there were two unborn babies to be considered too, then they were going to have the upperhand. 

“Give me the sphere and I won’t have to hurt him,” Loki countered, rather enjoying himself if the evil grin stretching across his face was any indication. He wasn’t going to be beaten here, there was too much riding on this, if he didn’t succeed in getting the eight sphere’s then he may as well allow Thor to cart him off in chains back to Asgard because there no other options for him, not if he let down the organisation that had recruited him for this in the first place. 

“Then I guess we have a stalemate,” Harry said, squaring up to Loki challengingly. It took a lot to block out Steve, who was hovering just behind him, clearly on edge and ready to strike at a moment's notice but Harry remained focused, knowing that things could go sour within seconds if they didn’t play this right. Harry wasn’t sure what he was going to do, he knew that Thor had one of the other spheres and that giving Loki this one was not going to allow him to extract the power, but they still needed to avoid giving it to him. 

He was racking his brains, trying to think of another option. He had been in this room so many times, he had placed objects in here and sealed them in their containers himself, there had to be another option to take. He couldn’t remember what was in half of them or where a lot of them were within the room but there had to be something in here that could help them. Loki was far too happy right now, it was slightly unnerving for Harry to see Loki quite so joyous, as if he knew that he had the upper hand here. 

“You really believe so?” Loki asked, looking far too knowing as he approached Harry, getting within a few inches of him. “I wonder what would happen to your little spells protecting the sphere if I snapped your neck,” he said quietly, one hand reaching up to gently caress at Harry’s throat, flicking his eyes to Steve as he said this, taking pleasure in watching the super soldier’s reactions. Harry remained unmoving, unafraid, it wasn’t the first time that his life had been threatened and it wouldn’t be the last either, if he made it out of here of course. 

“Keep your hands off him!” Steve yelled, as he stepped forward, firing a shot at Loki, more to just get him away from Harry; however, the trickster dodged it easily, knocking the wizard to the floor as he made a grab for the gun. The Captain couldn’t help but glance to Harry as he reached for his shield, losing precious seconds before swinging it up, but Loki, taking advantage of Steve’s hesitation, managed to dodge that as well, knocking the shield from his grip before his fingers easily wrapping around the super soldier's throat and pinning Steve to the wall, aiming the gun in Harry’s direction with his free hand.

“Nuh uh uh,” Loki said tauntingly, grinning wickedly at Harry when the wizard went to get to his feet and defend his boyfriend, not thinking twice about the consequences of this. With Steve pinned to the wall, Harry felt that he had no choice but to remain down, glaring up at Loki with fury in his eyes. His heart was racing manically, hating to see Steve in such a helpless position. The man was a super soldier and could have easily fought back, lashed out at Loki and just kept fighting but he didn’t because there was a gun pointing directly at Harry and he was worried that he might not be able to stop Loki from pulling the trigger in time. 

“Harry, run,” Steve choked out as he struggled with the grip that Loki had on his throat. He knew that there was very little he could do right now; Loki needed Harry but right now the trickster wasn’t sure whether he did actually need Harry alive and hadn’t thought to test the theory. Steve wanted Harry gone, then he wouldn’t have to worry about him, he could take Loki easily, he had done it before, but not with Harry here, constantly a target. They truly were each other’s weaknesses. 

“Hell no,” Harry snapped, switching his glare to Steve, hating that he was being told to run. He was not a child and he had never run away from a fight but they did need to be smart about this, he needed to figure out what his next move was going to be. He was perhaps fortunate that he recognised some of the containers that he had landed close to, he had no recollection for what was inside them but he at least recognized his own magical signature on the boxes and therefore they weren’t going to hurt him if he opened them. 

“Think of the…” Steve began to say without really thinking of the consequences. He needed to remind Harry that there was more at stake than just their lives but the flash of anger in Harry’s eyes told him that it was going to be better for everyone if he didn’t finish that sentence. 

“Steve, shut up, I’m not going anywhere,” Harry said adamantly, very slowly edging towards the shelf closest to him, Loki watching their back in forth rather intently and enjoying their small argument, so much so he didn’t notice as Harry edged closer to one of the stored items only an inch or so away from him. 

“Aww, a lovers’ tiff, how quaint,” Loki said, smiling at Harry, who froze, not daring to move any further and give away what it was he was doing. “Shall I snap his neck and see if I can’t get you to agree to relinquish the sphere for me then?” Loki asked in a mocking tone, immensely enjoying having the upper hand over these two. 

“Fine, you want the sphere, I’ll get it for you,” Harry snapped, glancing to the box beside him and realising it would be no help to him; inside was a gemstone, rare and used to brew some of the most dangerous and potent potions known to the wizarding world, it could create something akin to the muggles atomic bomb when used right, but it was useless without the potion ingredients to combine with it. 

“Harry, no!” Steve said as Harry pulled himself up from the floor, wand still in hand, preparing himself to strike the moment he was given an opportunity to do so. However, with Loki very willing to break Steve’s neck at a moment’s notice and a gun pointed directly at him it was a delicate situation. 

“What choice do we have,” Harry asked, making eye contact with his boyfriend, hoping that the super soldier was able to read him. Now that he was up and on his feet he had a much better chance of being able to dodge any shots fired at him. They needed to start fighting back, there was two of them and one of Loki, they could win this fight if they were smart and didn’t count one another as weaknesses. 

“How sweet,” Loki mocked, watching Harry carefully as the wizard edged over to where he had stored the sphere. He came came to came to a stop in front of the box that he had sealed himself, knowing the danger of what it contained. There were so many boxes here, all of them containing dangerous artifacts of some description and and most of them inaccessible. 

Knowing that he needed to take himself out of the situation before he released the sphere, Harry glanced at the surrounding boxes, scared of their potential to harm him and his unborn children. It was then that an idea came to mind and he need didn’t have to open any of the boxes. 

He had been told not to, he knew that it was dangerous but in comparison to the threat that Loki posed and the possibility of opening one of these boxes he knew that this was a viable option for him. Gripping his wand in his hand, Harry steadied his breathing, glancing over to Steve who was still pinned to the wall by Loki's hand. 

"You know," Harry said, playing for time, "I would have thought you'd consider yourself far too self important to wield a mortal weapon."

"This thing?" Loki said, glancing at the gun in amusement. "It is a means to an end. It makes me wonder what would happen to a wizard who took a bullet," he mused. 

“Harry get out of here," Steve said desperately, not wanting to see Harry hurt. He would not be responsible for his actions if Loki shot Harry. 

"I don't think you'll shoot me,” Harry said confidently, turning away from the box containing the sphere, facing Loki but only looking at Steve and trying valiantly to ignore the gun pointed directly at him, “Kill me and you’ll never be able to get the sphere,” he said, completely bluffing of course but Loki wasn’t to know this, though he knew that this was a huge risk to take." 

“You don’t have to die to take a bullet,” Loki said rather matter of factly. He was rather enjoying mocking the couple and seeing them squirm. Playing them off against one another was certainly rather pleasurable for him. 

“Oh goodie,” Harry said rather flippantly, turning back to the box on the shelf, “you’re no fun,” he added as he removed the box off the shelf and placed it carefully on the floor, kneeling in front of it as if he were about to open it. 

Looking up at Steve, there was no way to communicate to him what he was planning on doing, Harry only hoped that Steve would understand why he had done it. By taking himself out of the equation, Harry was hoping that Loki would come after him and leave Steve alone. There were no guarantees that it would work but it was the only option he had. 

“Steve,” he said, giving his boyfriend an apologetic look, knowing that it wasn’t even going to come close to being enough, “I’m sorry,” he added, not giving Loki a second glance as he made as though to open the box, and the last thing he saw was Steve’s heartbroken expression and Loki’s broadening grin before he disapparated from the room, the box still firmly in his grasp.

\------------x

Harry had put his faith in his boyfriend’s abilities, he knew that Steve was strong enough to be able to handle himself, though that didn’t mean he liked what he had done. He was hoping to find the others, as he was concerned about what had happened to them, and so had taken himself to the Atrium, thinking that it was the best place to start; however, he had not been expecting to land in the middle of a fire fight. 

Before he could move himself or the box under cover from the shower of spells, arrows and bullets that were flying around, Harry cried out, feeling a searing pain in his right shoulder. As he looked down, he realised that there was an arrow sticking out of his flesh. He swore, his heart beat racing as he pulled himself and the box behind one of the pillars, unsure who was firing at who and which side Harry needed to trust. 

Thinking fast, Harry quickly worked out that it must have one of Clint’s arrows that had hit him, though he was sure that it had been by accident. Using his logical Auror thinking and the that the tip of the arrow was sticking out the front of his shoulder, Harry figured out that it had been fired from behind him, and therefore knew which way he needed to go to find his allies. However, with his right shoulder now severely injured he had no hope of being able to take the box with him. 

Harry had to trust that the box and the enchantments surrounding it would hold until he found help. No one was going to be able to touch it other than him and if anyone tried they were going to find out just how much it hurt when they tried to take something that didn’t belong to them. Making a split second decision, Harry got to his feet and, leaving the box behind, he prepared himself to run. 

Withdrawing his wand and bracing himself for the pain, Harry set off towards what he hoped to be his allies, the arrow still protruding through his shoulder. Several spells were fired in his direction, and he let out a yell of surprise as something collided loudly with a magical shield that suddenly appeared around him. 

He kept moving as his eyes searched the direction from which he thought the shield had come. He almost sighed in relief when he spotted a tuft of blond hair hidden behind a pillar, heading straight for it. “Thanks,” he gasped out a little breathlessly, as he all but barged into Draco’s side, ducking behind the same pillar.

“You’re injured,” Draco said, spying the arrow, “you’re lucky that wasn’t your stomach,” he said unhappily, though this was at least what he felt happy with dealing with. He hated being under fire like this and had been able to do very little other than shield Natasha and Clint from being hit by stray spells. He hadn’t done a brilliant job, however; moments after Barton had fired the shot into Harry’s shoulder a stray stunning spell had hit the archer across the room. 

“Never mind about that,” Harry said dismissively; he had been taught to deal with the pain, he had been trained to deal with a high level of it after all his Auror training. He didn’t care that he was injured, his children would be fine, the arrow wouldn’t have any affect on them and that was all Harry cared about. “We need to take out these guys, they’re a distraction, Loki is in the Department of Mysteries, he has Steve.” 

“We’ll get him back,” Natasha said from the pillar to Draco’s right, Harry turned and gave her a brief nod of understanding; he already knew that he was going to get Steve back, he didn’t need for Natasha to confirm it. 

“Where’re Clint, Ron?” Harry asked, glancing around and looking for the rest of the team, however he couldn’t see either of them. They were thin on the ground, they needed as many people to help them as possible but it seemed that that wasn’t what was going to happen. 

“They’re down,” Natasha said as Draco reflected another jet of green light as she rounded the corner and fired at the wizards; however, they were pretty skilled at their own defective charms it seemed.

“Alive?” Harry asked when Natasha failed to clarify any further. She was looking a little preoccupied, though he wasn’t sure if it was because her bullets were getting through and hitting their targets or if because she was slowly running out of ammunition. 

“Yes,” Draco said, wanting to ease Harry’s worry as he examined his injured shoulder. “Clint got hit by a stunner, he’s over there, I put wards up around him. Ron’s outside, again with wards; we had a little trouble getting inside and he got splinched.” 

“At least they’re okay,” Harry said with a sigh, hating that this mission had put people that he cared about in danger. People were getting hurt and there was nothing he could do to stop it and they had so much more to worry about, like why it had gone very quiet and no one was firing spells at them any more. 

“Well that can’t be good,” Draco said, his whole body trembling a little at the shock of the sudden silence. There were no shouts of spells being fired, no gun shots, just nothing. 

“Whatever happens, neither of you touch that box,” Harry instructed in a harsh whisper. It was important that they both understood this, he didn’t want either of them hurt, not least because they were the only allies that he had left. 

“I should thank you, Harry,” a horribly familiar voice said from out of the silence, giving Harry a rather sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, making him want to be sick. “The look of betrayal on your precious Captain America’s face as I killed him was the most amusement I have had in months.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think? Only two more chapters left of the story now. How do you think it's going to end? Don't forget to leave me a comment and show your appreciation of the story because I do love to know what you think. :D


	26. Not According to Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things at the Ministry come to a close but not according to plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second to last chapter... only one more left...

Harry didn’t know what to think, with Loki’s words his whole world had been thrown into turmoil, his head spinning and his hands shaking. Steve couldn’t be dead, he refused to believe it until he had seen it with his own two eyes, however, that didn’t settle the urge he had to throw up. He hadn’t been feeling well before they had started on this mission and now he was feeling worse, Loki’s taunts not making things any better. 

“Focus,” Natasha said, sending a meaningful look to Harry. She understood Harry’s pain, Clint was lying unconscious and hurt and there was nothing she could do. Whether Loki was telling the truth or not wasn’t important, they had a mission to complete and that was all that mattered. 

“Hand over the sphere, Harry,” Loki said, his mocking tones echoing in Harry’s head, reminding him that Steve might very well be dead right now and there was nothing he could do about that. Harry’s hands lowered to his belly, resting there, thinking of his unborn children and what they might have lost this evening. 

“Why?” Harry challenged, suddenly feeling himself fill with a fierce determination to survive, to allow for his children to survive. He had made a promise to Teddy, he wasn’t going to die, he was going to go back to him, he was going to keep that promise. “If you’ve really killed Steve, what leverage do you have over me?” he shouted, keeping himself safely behind the pillar.

“There are others here you care about,” Loki said mockingly, “they don’t have to die like the Soldier,” he said and even though Harry couldn’t see him, he knew that Loki would be grinning. 

“If Steve is really dead then he died trying to keep you from getting the sphere. Why would I besmirch his memory by giving it to you?” Harry asked angrily, as Draco used his wand to vanish the arrow from Harry’s shoulder and bandage the wound as best he could. It would need more serious treatment when they had time but right now Harry would take what he could get.

“We need to get you to the hospital,” Draco said in a hushed whisper, being rather concerned about how pale Harry was looking. He didn’t appear to have lost a lot of blood, at least not enough to make him look so peaky. Draco had a sneaking suspicion that there was something else, something to do with the pregnancy that he needed to check. Whatever it was it probably hadn’t been helped by the fact that he had just apparated but now was not the time to give Harry a lecture. 

“We can’t go, we need to secure the sphere,” Harry said stubbornly, not willing to sacrifice the mission, not when they had come so far. The sphere was within reaching distance, he just had to transfer it from the Ministry box to the one that Tony and Bruce had devised. 

“Not if it means risking your life,” Draco said firmly; he didn’t think the sphere was important enough to put Harry’s life on the line. He cared for Harry too much to allow that to happen but he just didn’t seem to be able to convince Harry of that fact. 

“Especially if it means that,” Harry argued, batting Draco’s hands away from his wound. He knew that the healer had done everything that he could manage right now and anything else would have to wait. “The mission is what matters,” Harry said, “it’s all that matters.” 

“If Steve were here, would you say the same thing?” Draco challenged, hating seeing Harry like this. He had known that when Harry was an Auror he was goal oriented and nothing else mattered but achieving his goal, when he was done he would relax and celebrate but not until he had completed his mission. Draco had never wanted to see Harry like this. 

“Enough,” Natasha said, getting tired of the bickering, “we need to try and capture Loki,” she said, knowing that it was the only way they could conclude this mission. It had was supposed to be simple, in and out, but it had turned out to be so much more complicated than that. She wanted it over with so they could tend to their wounded, make sure they were all okay. 

“I don’t have all day,” Loki said in his sing song voice; however, even as the words left his lips, the ceiling above them began to crack, plaster and tile coming down around them. Reacting on gut instinct, Harry threw himself towards Natasha, pushing them both to the floor and using his wand to shield the two of them from the falling debris. 

“What’s going on?” Draco asked, sounding a little panicked as he too erected the same umbrella over his head as the plaster and ceiling tiles began to fall down around them. Realising then that no one had protected Clint from things that might fall on top of him and knowing that he couldn’t let Barton be injured any further, Draco struggled to his feet, dodging the still falling debris as he made his way to where Clint was lying unconscious. 

“I have my suspicions,” Natasha responded as she glanced up to the ceiling, quite easily spotting the source of the falling tiles and plaster. Right above them a huge gaping hole was appearing and through it a large man with a red cape was descending and he wasn’t alone either. 

Harry couldn’t help but smile when he followed the direction that Natasha was looking and saw what she had seen. “Thor,” he said with utter relief, “and he’s brought a friend.” There were no words to how happy he was to see the Thunder God. He wasn’t sure who the woman was who had accompanied him but Harry didn’t care, he was just glad the two of them were here because they needed all the help that they could get right now.

The two of them landed, crouching, in front of Loki. Each of them had their weapons in hand, Thor with his hammer and the woman brandished a sword, neither of them looked as if they were in charitable moods, both prepared to use the weapons they held if it was needed. The two of them glared at the God of Mischief as they got to their feet. 

“Loki you need to stop this at once,” Thor bellowed, his grip fastening around his hammer, ready for whatever Loki could throw at them. Wisely, Natasha, Harry and Draco remained where they were, not wanting to get between the Thunder God and his brother. 

“Really, Thor, always so rude and uncouth, I was speaking,” Loki said with a sigh. “And Lady Sif, how wonderful it is to see you,” he added with a smile to the woman, completely unphased by their sudden appearance. 

“As usual, Loki, the pleasure is all yours,” the woman retorted, looking absolutely terrifying. Harry had thought that Natasha was a woman not to be messed with, but Sif, she was something else entirely and it made him wonder if all Asgardians were as mindblowingly good looking as these two. 

“I only want the sphere,” Loki said with a sigh, realising that he was not likely to win this fight, when it came down to it; Thor had all the brute strength but he had all the smarts. “No one had to die. The Soldier will be a loss to you, I am sure, but hand me the sphere and I will be on my way and no one else need be hurt.” Loki wasn’t stupid, he knew there were only a few ways this could end and the most beneficial to him was going back to Asgard with Thor and Sif. 

“I need to go and find Steve,” Harry said, shouting to the others from where he was still shielding Natasha, wanting to make Thor aware that they were there. Whatever happened, he needed not to be caught in the crossfire of whatever was about to happen between Thor and Loki. 

“Go,” Natasha said, getting to her feet, knowing that the fight wasn’t over, there were still three of Loki’s men in the atrium, ready to attack on Loki’s order; it wasn’t over yet, there was no rest for them, at least not yet. “We can handle it from here,” she said with a nod to Harry. She knew that he needed to go and find answers in relation to what had happened to Steve, she couldn’t fault him for that and she knew that it was going to be better for Harry not to be present for this, not in his condition. 

“I’m coming with you,” Draco called out at once from next to Clint, getting to his feet and making a move to follow Harry deeper into the Ministry. However, Harry had other plans, as he looked over towards the blond.

“No,” Harry said firmly to Draco, “stay here.” He didn’t want company for this, it was something that he had to do on his own. He glanced over at where the two new arrivals were confronting Loki, the danger was here, it wasn’t inside the depths of the Ministry, at least it wasn’t anymore. “Help Clint, then find Ron and help him too. They’ll need you more than I will,” Harry insisted, knowing that if Steve truly was dead then he would want to be alone when he found him. His mind was swimming with possibilities about what had happened, hoping and praying that Loki had been lying. 

“Harry…” Draco said with concern, heading over towards the other wizard and Natasha, “your shoulder…” he tried to reason, knowing that this was a bad idea. He didn’t want to see Harry go running off and injure himself even further, which Draco knew was bound to happen. Harry had already apperated and taken a arrow to the shoulder; he needed medical attention, not to go running off on his own again. 

“No, I’ll be fine,” Harry insisted, saying it just as much to himself as to Draco, he needed to be able to believe it himself too and he wasn’t sure that he did. He wasn’t sure that everything was going to be fine, not if Steve was truly dead. “I need you to stay here, help the others and for goodness sake, no one is to touch that box, they might not survive if they do!” 

“You’re more important,” Draco insisted, being rather stubborn on the matter and grabbing hold of Harry’s arm to keep him from leaving. He couldn’t just allow for Harry to run off like this, especially not injured, he cared for Harry too much and what's more, he knew that this wouldn’t be what Steve wanted either. 

“Draco, if you care anything for me then please, do as I’m asking,” Harry pleaded with his friend, for the first time realising that what Ron had told him might actually be true. Harry hadn’t thought for a moment that Draco could feel anything for him and yet here they were and it seemed that he had been mistaken. So leaning forward towards his friend, Harry placed a sweet kiss to his cheek, before stepping back and looking at him with wide, pleading eyes, “please.”

“Let him go,” Natasha snapped, her eyes trained on Thor as he began to swing his hammer in a way that could only mean more destruction. None of them really needed to be here for this but if she was going to do anything then she was going to protect Harry and the babies he was carrying; she would do it for Steve’s sake, knowing it was something that he would have wanted and she looked up to Steve. This was not something she tended to do often, or at all. 

Reluctantly Draco nodded, knowing that there wasn’t going to be any talking Harry out of this. He could see Thor just as Natasha could and he knew why she was so keen to send Harry away; whatever was going to happen it wasn’t going to end well, even he could see that and he had no experience of Thor’s fighting technique. 

Releasing his grip on Harry’s arm, Draco felt the need to tell Harry how he felt but he held himself back, this was not the time nor the place, not if Steve truly was dead. There would be time for that later but it wasn’t what Harry needed now. “Be careful,” he said instead and Harry nodded before turning and running off towards the elevators. 

“Don’t let them touch the box,” he shouted back as he threw himself into the elevator as several stunning spells were sent in his direction. However with his attackers focused on him, Natasha took her chance and began to fire, taking them out as the doors closed and Harry began to descend into the bowels of the Ministry. 

\-------------x 

Steve wasn’t sure what it was that Loki had used to bind his wrists and ankles but it was unlike any bonds he had seen or heard of before and it wasn’t something that he could simply break either, which was frustrating him. His shield had been thrown to the opposite side of the room, smashing into a set of shelves which had spilt out some rather toxic looking substances. 

Harry had told him that things in this room were protected by very dangerous magic and for very good reason too, however, he had never thought that any of this would have been possible. Whatever was defending the contents of the box was now slowly oozing towards him, black liquid that moved with a purpose, flowing like steam across the floor in thick waves and there was nothing he could do to stop it. 

Loki was gone, probably after Harry and the sphere, and he was lying here, helpless, and whatever the substance that was creeping its way towards him was, it seemed unlikely to differentiate between those who were good and those who were not. He had considered knocking down some of the other shelves to impede the progress of the substance but he didn’t even know if that would stop it, and considering that shelves being knocked down had released the substance in the first place, he knew that was likely to just make the whole situation worse. 

All he could think about was getting to Harry. That desperate need was what was giving him the strength to keep fighting against the bindings holding him down, even though he knew it would do little good. But he couldn’t just sit there and do nothing, not when his boyfriend and unborn children were being hunted down by an insane alien god. 

One day his own children would almost certainly have the capabilities to produce magic like this and he was determined that he was going to be around to see it. But that wasn’t going to happen unless he could get out of there, and quickly, given how close the unknown black substance was getting. 

He put his bound feet flat on the floor and tried to use the leverage to pull at the binding around his wrists, but they didn’t budge at all. He let out a grunt of frustration, but fell quiet when he caught the sound of footsteps; someone was definitely nearby, running if he wasn’t mistaken. 

“In here!” he shouted out. He had no idea who it might be, but given his circumstances he didn’t much care, because he didn’t think that it could get much worse. 

“Steve!” Harry cried out as he rounded the corner and stood in the doorway to the room. The wizard had tears on his face, was a little out of breath and looked almost surprised to see him. “You’re alive,” he gasped out, still staring at the super soldier in shock and relief.

“And I would like to stay that way,” Steve said hastily, nodding his head at the black substance. He too was relieved to see Harry alive and well, but he had rather more pressing matters that they should deal with before anything else.

“Loki said that you were dead,” Harry said breathlessly as he fell to his knees in front of his boyfriend, wanting to kiss him out of the relief he felt at finding him alive. “He told me that he had killed you.” 

“He certainly tried his best,” Steve said, hating that Loki had managed to get the better of him. He was thinking that Harry had been right, he had been over thinking things when it came to his boyfriend’s safety while he had been fighting Loki, it had been a distraction and that had made their relationship into a weakness. “He might still succeed if you don’t stop that stuff.” 

Harry turned to see what it was that Steve was talking about, he had been so focused on getting to Steve and feeling that relief of knowing that his boyfriend was alive that he hadn’t noticed the danger that they were in. Whatever it was that was edging towards them rather ominously, it wasn’t a spell that Harry had used himself, it would have been a lot easier to fix if it had been; however, he was not that lucky. 

“I can’t stop it,” Harry said with a frown, knowing that whomever had cursed the box and sealed it was the only person who would be able to call off the curse. Turning back to Steve and focusing on the bindings, which he could tell were not muggle made. “But I can do this,” he said, withdrawing his wand and vanishing the bindings. 

“Harry,” Steve said with concern as he struggled to his feet with Harry’s help, noticing the wince of pain on the younger man’s face, “you’ve been hurt,” he said as the two of them began to head towards the exit. Steve was horrified to see that Harry was bleeding through his bandages, he felt as if he should have been there to protect him rather than tied up, awaiting rescue. 

“Really not the time,” Harry said with a sigh as he tried to pull Steve towards the door a little faster; however, the super soldier was dragging his heels a little, as he suddenly realised that his shield was still in the room, unwilling to leave it behind given how irreplaceable he knew it was. 

“My shield is still in there,” Steve explained, turning back to look at where he had seen it land, not knowing how he was going to be able to get round the smoke like substance to retrieve it. He knew that it was stupid but that shield was important and he didn’t want to simply leave it behind, though he was starting to think he might have to. 

“Don’t think for a second that you’re going back in there,” Harry said firmly, keeping a firm grip on the super soldier to prevent him from doing anything stupid. “Accio shield,” he shouted into the room and Steve had to prepare himself as his trademark shield came racing towards him. He didn’t think that he was ever going to stop being amazed by what magic could accomplish. 

“Can I just say how much I love you,” Steve said as he replaced the shield on to his back and finally left the room, allowing Harry to seal it shut so the black substance that had been slowly edging towards them would not follow them outside. The super soldier knew that he was the luckiest man alive to have Harry to call his own, the man was just utterly amazing. 

“Later,” Harry said with a sappy smile on his face, “we have the sphere to deal with first,” he added, grinning from ear to ear as the two of them headed back towards the atrium to find the others. Harry linked his fingers with Steve’s, simply grateful that his boyfriend was safe. 

“Where’s Loki?” Steve asked as the two of them headed out of the department of mysteries, Steve trusting Harry to lead the way because the entire place was a maze and he was pretty sure that with magic added into the mix, unless you knew where you were going it would be near impossible to get out of here. 

“In the Atrium,” Harry said, pulling Steve in the direction of the elevators, knowing all of the twists and turns to get there quickly. “Ron and Clint have been injured, I don’t know how badly. Thor’s here and he brought a friend,” he explained, wanting to make it clear that he had not abandoned Natasha and Draco to their fates so that he could come and find his boyfriend. 

“How badly injured?” Steve asked, concerned about his team mates. He wasn’t about to leave any of them behind, they needed to complete the mission so they could all go home. It was taking a lot of energy not to think about the wound in Harry’s shoulder, knowing that if he thought about it too closely then he was going to want to take Harry and go, leave the others behind. 

His instincts to protect the man he loved and his unborn children were battling with his instinct as a soldier, to never leave a man behind and to complete his mission. It was not a good feeling and he didn’t know what he should do, though part of him knew that Harry wouldn’t allow them to run and hide, it wasn’t in his nature either. Besides, Harry was the only one that could handle the sphere without getting seriously hurt, they had to stay, there wasn’t any other choice. 

“I don’t know,” Harry said honestly as the two of them piled into the lift, “Ron’s not in the Ministry, something happened before they got inside and they had to leave him behind. Clint’s unconscious, I think he was hit by a stunning spell.” 

“And what about you?” Steve asked, turning Harry to face him as the lift jolted and starting moving, taking them back to the Atrium. He unlinked his fingers from Harry’s and brought his hand up to caress his boyfriend’s cheek.

“I’m fine,” Harry said softly, “my shoulder hurts a lot but I’m fine.” This was a lie, he hadn’t been feeling right since before they had left. He was extremely light headed and he was feeling as if the air around him was closing in but he wasn’t about to communicate this to Steve, not when he was losing blood too, which Harry was sure wasn’t helping. 

“Let’s get this finished so we can get you home,” Steve said firmly and Harry nodded his agreement, accepting a sweet kiss to the lips as the lift came to a stop, knocking the two of them apart as the doors swung open. 

The sight that met their eyes was not one that either of them had been expecting. Both Harry and Steve had thought that they were about to walk into a full blown fight; however, this was not what they saw. Loki was in an impressive set of handcuffs that linked his wrists, ankles and even his neck. Thor and Sif had managed to secure a gag around Loki’s mouth too. It looked as if the fight was over, and the three men who had allied with Loki were either dead or unconscious, one of them had a bullet hole in his head. 

Spotting Harry and Steve as they came out of the lift, Natasha and Draco headed over to them, both of them looking slightly more disheveled than when Harry had left them. The healer was instantly fussing over Harry, checking his wound but Harry batted Draco away, feeling how tense Steve had become beside him. 

“Let’s deal with the sphere,” Harry said rather pointedly to Draco, still feeling a little light headed, so much so he had to reach over to Steve and hold on himself as he swayed a little on his feet. Closing his eyes for a moment so that he could regain himself, Harry took several deep breaths, not wanting to seem as if he couldn’t do this. 

“Harry…” Steve said, a little concerned with the way that his boyfriend was acting. He knew that Harry wasn’t simply going to just give up the mission because he was injured but Steve didn’t want for his boyfriend to push himself to the point where he hurt himself more than he already was, or hurt the children. 

“No,” Harry returned rather stubbornly, “I’m fine, let’s just get this finished.” If he had been honest with the others then he would have told them that he felt as if he were about to keel over. When he felt as if he were able to, Harry released his hold on Steve and headed for the box that contained the sphere, which had not moved since he had left. 

Steve, unsure that Harry was able to carry on, followed his boyfriend, wanting to be there in case something went wrong and it wasn’t something that he could handle. He knew that this wasn’t something that he could do for Harry, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t worried about just how much it was going to take to complete the mission.

“We will return Loki to Asgard,” Thor said loudly, Sif nodding in agreement, staying close to her fellow Asgardians. “He will not bother Midgard again,” the God of Thunder stated rather confidently as he raised his hammer to the sky. 

Natasha, taking her eyes off the progress that Harry was making over towards the sphere, looked to Thor and gave him a nod of thanks. The mission was almost over, Loki had been contained, the threat eliminated. All that was left was to move the sphere and put it in the custody of S.H.I.E.L.D, something that she would be able to handle once Harry had moved it into the container Tony and Bruce had created. 

Harry couldn’t help but stop and glance over his shoulder as the three Asgardians were transported back to their own world. It was certainly a rather beautiful way to travel but it left a trail of destruction in it’s wake. Harry wasn’t sure how he was going to explain the giant gaping hole in the ceiling of the Ministry, nor the intricate pattern now burnt into the marble floor, to Kingsley but he supposed he would handle that when it came to it. Right now they were running out of time and they needed to leave. 

“Help me with Clint,” Natasha instructed Draco, motioning him to follow her. Draco had been rather intently staring at Harry, barely even noticing when the three Asgardians had left. Clint was still unconscious and they needed to get him up and moving before they could all get themselves back to the safe house. 

Reaching the box, Harry went down on his knees in front of it, the danger was passed and this was the last thing that they had to do before it was over and they could live their lives together, normal, happy lives with their children. “Stay back,” Harry said to Steve, not wanting for the box to perceive his boyfriend as a threat and attack him. 

Nodding, Steve took two steps back, though he refused to go any further, not wanting to be too far from his boyfriend, still worrying over how pale Harry looked. The wizard was swaying a little, even as he knelt in front of the box and Steve was rather concerned that Harry wasn’t going to be able to remain conscious for much longer. 

His hands trembling, Harry opened the lid with no resistance seeing the object inside that had caused all of the problems. It was beautiful and absolutely mesmerizing, he felt as if he could sit and watch the multi coloured lights and intrigue of darkness swirl within for the rest of his life. Deep down, Harry knew that what he was seeing was the massive amount of power that the sphere contained and that he had to stop it from getting into the wrong hands. 

Removing the flat packed box from his back, Harry erected it, clicking it all into place easily, fully appreciating the design that Tony and Bruce had created in a very short space of time. The sphere would fit perfectly inside and then it was going to be over, which was something that Harry desperately needed. 

“Are you sure you should touch that?” Steve asked with concern, thinking that it might be for the best if Harry didn’t touch it again. Harry was already looking a little drained and as if he was about to collapse.

“I’ve already touched it once,” Harry said with a frown, though he did hesitate for a moment, “it’s already duplicated my magic.” He really didn’t see what more the sphere could do to him, all it did was duplicate power and it had already done that. 

“Just be careful,” Steve pleaded. He was fighting a rather strong urge to take Harry into his arms and hold him so that he didn’t just collapse. Nodding, Harry took a deep breath, trying to stop himself feeling so dizzy as he reached for the sphere. 

The moment Harry touched the sphere the breath left his body, he could feel the vibrations pulsing through him, the amount of power inside of it was immense. It clearly recognized Harry on some level, the substance inside of it turning a spectacular array of stunning colours. He struggled to let it go but he forced himself to, putting the sphere into the container, fighting to remain upright and awake. 

“Harry…” Steve said, taking a step forward as Harry closed the box, sealing it shut. It was perhaps fortunate that Steve had come forward because if he hadn’t then he wouldn’t have been able to stop Harry from hitting the floor as he blacked out. 

\-------x 

When Hermione had woken up the next morning to discover that her husband had not returned home to her, she was more than a little concerned. Determined to get answers, she wasted no time in getting everything ready and heading over to the safe house where she knew Harry and the others were staying, taking Teddy and Rose with her. 

Of course, nine year old Teddy had so many questions and none that she could answer. He was such an inquisitive little thing and she couldn’t blame him for that because she had been the same way; she only wished that she was able to give him some of the answers that he needed. 

“What are you doing here?” Natasha asked when she answered the door to Hermione, who was stood on the doorstep with her one year old daughter in her arms and Teddy by her side. Natasha wasn’t foolish, and so she stepped aside and let the three of them inside, though she wasn’t thrilled that they had simply turned up; they had a lot to deal with right now and didn’t need the added complication. 

“I came to find my husband,” Hermione said rather briskly. She didn’t much like this woman and she wasn’t about to take any nonsense from her, she had her wand on her if she needed it. Hermione was determined that she was going to get answers whether this Natasha woman liked it or not. 

“They are healing,” she said, slamming the door closed once Hermione, Teddy and Rose were inside. “Draco is taking care of them,” she added, more to put Hermione’s mind at ease than anything else. Natasha wasn’t good with hysterical women so she wanted to avoid that if at all possible. 

“Where’s Harry?” Teddy asked, looking around and wondering why his Godfather wasn’t there to meet him. He was getting more and more concerned as no one else came down to see them. He had been expecting Steve to be there or even Clint but no one came. 

“What happened?” Hermione asked, ignoring what Teddy had asked. She knew that the young man would be concerned about his Godfather but Hermione was not so worried about him. Harry had a habit of always landing on his feet, she wanted to know that her husband wasn’t too badly hurt. 

“There were complications,” Natasha said, crossing her arms over her chest, unwilling to tell Hermione much of anything. What Natasha wanted was to go and sit with Clint who had been assigned to bed rest, though he was doing just fine. Draco had wanted to be sure however that the stunning spell had not had any adverse affects on the archer. 

“What kind of complications?” Hermione asked, feeling a little panicked. “Is Ron alright, where is he?” she asked, needing to know what had happened to her husband. Rose was whimpering in her mother’s arms, sensing the amount of tension in the air. 

Teddy could see that the adults were preoccupied and he could see the stairs up to the rest of the house and he knew that he could make it up there before anyone even thought to stop him. He needed to make sure that Harry and Steve were alright because they were all he had right now and he couldn’t go back to being alone, he just couldn’t.

\--------------x 

Harry had been out cold since he had passed out in the Ministry of Magic. Steve had, of course, not left his side and Draco had only done so to care for Clint and Ron. The healer couldn’t find anything wrong with Harry other than exhaustion and blood loss. His magic levels had been a little higher than they should have been but other than that there hadn’t been anything out of the ordinary and there was no reason why he shouldn’t have been awake. 

Watching Harry sleep in their bed and being unable to join him was painful for Steve but he remained sat in his armchair, watching over his boyfriend and never taking his eyes off of him. Draco had done a check up a few minutes ago before leaving them to it, needing to check over Ron. 

So deep in thought, Steve was rather startled when the bedroom door burst open and Teddy came barrelling through looking a little manic and entirely afraid. “Steve!” Teddy said, throwing himself into the super soldier’s arms. 

“Teddy,” Steve said in surprise, “what are you doing here?” he asked, rather surprised that the nine year old was here. He thought that Teddy was still with Hermione, he had no idea that he would be back so soon. 

“Auntie Hermione got worried,” Teddy explained, hugging Steve for all he was worth, “she brought me back here and I wanted to see you, I wanted to make sure that you and Harry were alright.” 

“It’s okay, I’m glad your back,” Steve said, really meaning that because with Harry laying in bed unconscious, Steve needed all the family he had left and Teddy was part of that. “Harry is okay, he’s just sleeping right now,” the super soldier said, trying to explain it in a way that wasn’t going to crush the nine year old. 

“So we can wake him up soon?” Teddy asked hopefully. “It’s morning now,” he pointed out, looking over to the bed where Harry was lying completely still and unconscious.

“I wish it were that easy, kid,” Steve said sadly, holding Teddy close to him as the two of them curled up on the armchair, both of them not noticing Natasha stood in the doorway watching them, Hermione hovering beside her. 

\-------x

“Take me to Ron,” Hermione said with determination. She was still carrying Rose on her hip and now that she knew that Teddy was alright and in good hands, she wanted to see her husband. 

“Fine,” Natasha said with a sigh, thinking that at least this way she was going to be able to go and sit with Clint for a while, “this way.” She needed to make sure that he was alright and to talk to him, the two of them had a lot to talk about. Hermione followed her down the hall a little way to the next door down. 

“Ron!” Hermione said as Natasha opened the door and the witch saw her husband laying on the bed, leg heavily bandaged with Draco standing over him, the healer clearly having just finished changing the dressings. “What happened to you?” she asked as she came forward sitting herself down on the bed, resting Rose on her knee, the little girl reaching for her Daddy. 

Smiling, Ron sat himself up a little, though he could only manage it with Draco’s help, opening his arms to accept his daughter. “I’m okay,” Ron said to reassure his wife, “I never got into the Ministry, something was stopping us apperating in and protecting Natasha I got badly splinched.” 

“Oh, Ron,” Hermione said with a sigh, “not again,” she added with a frown as she placed a kiss to Ron’s cheek, simply relieved that he was still alive because she had honestly feared the worst when Ron hadn’t been home when she had woken up. 

“I’m okay,” Ron assured her, “Malfoy here has almost healed me completely. He didn’t even want to leave me behind when I got injured but I told him to and even then he put up shield charms to make sure I wouldn’t be found until he could come back.” Ron felt rather grateful for Draco right now and he could certainly appreciate why Harry had remained close to the blond and certainly why he trusted him.

“I should leave you two alone,” Draco said with a smile, not feeling very comfortable accepting either of their gratitude. He had already tended to Harry and now the only person left to check in on was Clint, who was more bitching and complaining about still being resigned to bed rest. 

“Malfoy, wait,” Hermione said, getting to her feet as Draco headed for the door, “wait.” Draco stopped and turned in confusion, not sure what Hermione could possibly have to say to him but regardless he waited in silence, giving her the opportunity to speak. “Thank you,” she said after a few moments of hesitation. 

“Why?” Draco asked in confusion, not thinking that anything that he had done deserved for anyones gratitude. He had done his job as a healer by healing them, not having wanted his reputation to be ruined by not doing what he could to help them and everything else he had done because he loved Harry. To the core he knew that it was all very selfish but he didn’t care, he had done what had been expected of him, it didn’t matter his motivations. 

“Because Ron probably wouldn’t be here without you,” Hermione said a little sheepishly. She wasn’t at all happy about having to be grateful to Draco, however, she knew that without him she would have been a widow and her daughter would have lost her father. “In the light of everything that’s happened, I think we could let bygones be bygones.” 

“I can be agreeable to that,” Draco said with an awkward smile. He was more than a little keen to get out of the room and leave the family on their own to celebrate the fact that they were still a family. “I’ll be back to check on you in a few hours,” he said with a small nod of his head before retreating from the room. 

Draco closed the door, beyond happy that he had managed to escape from the room. He had been awful to both Ron and Hermione while they had all been at school together and in fairness to him, despite the fact he had started off the rivalry, they had been horrible to him right back. He wasn’t exactly keen to be friends but he would at least be civil because he knew that that would be what Harry would want. Yet again, another selfish reasoning. 

Knowing that he had one more stop to make before he could take a rest and sit with Harry for a little while, Draco headed for Clint’s room. However, as he reached the door he could hear someone else inside with the archer. He stopped and waited for a moment, knowing that he probably shouldn’t be eavesdropping but he didn’t want to just barge in on them. 

“I want it finished, Nat,” Clint said and sounding rather regretful. “You’re my best friend and I’m married, I can’t do this to Laura anymore.” Draco held his breath, not wanting them to know that he was here but wanting to know what they were talking about. 

“I thought she knew,” he heard Natasha say. Just from the tone of the conversation, Draco thought that he knew what they were talking about, it was fairly clear that the two of them had been having an affair. 

“In a way, but don’t you think she deserves better?” Clint asked, and Draco knew that it was time to leave, he had heard enough and he needed to make sure that neither Natasha or Clint found out that he had been listening in on them. 

“I think that she does,” Natasha said firmly as Draco went to turn away, “you know I always thought she did, but you were the one who insisted that we needed this,” she reminded him casually, “that it would make us better agents.” He didn’t need to hear anymore, it wasn’t his business and he had other things to do other than eavesdrop on a private conversation. 

By passing both Harry and Ron’s rooms, Draco headed down the stairs, feeling the need for some tea. It had been a long night and he hadn’t been able to get any sleep, not with healing all of the others and making sure that they survived the night, Harry in particular. Now, however, he was exhausted and in need of his bed. 

“How you holding up?” Tony asked as Draco entered the kitchen. The healer wasn’t at all surprised to find Stark sitting in there alone; the man had various paperwork and sketches littered across the breakfast bar and the container that contained the sphere was there beside of him as well. 

“It’s been a long night,” Draco said with a sigh as he took a seat at the breakfast bar, Tony getting up from where he had been sat and fetching a mug of coffee for the blond healer. 

“Sounds like you need to find a bed for the night,” Tony said as he passed Draco the mug and sat back down, “mine’s free.” 

“Tony, as much as I would like to take you up on that offer,” Draco said with a smile, casting a cooling charm on the warm drink before sipping at it to test the temperature, “one accidental spell, any magic at all and you’d die or at the very least become very sick. That thought alone is going to kill the mood before we even get started, so, sorry but I think it best if I take the couch.” 

Draco couldn’t deny that he liked the idea, if it had been any other time, when he hadn’t been so hung up over Harry, if he hadn’t just been through one hell of a fight and not slept a wink all night then he might have said yes. However the issue still stood, he didn’t want to hurt Tony and therefore the answer had to be no. To conceal his musings he took a long drink of his coffee, really wishing that things were different because Tony certainly was a very attractive man. 

“Probably for the best,” Tony said, reeling a little from the rejection, it was something that he wasn’t used to, “I’m not exactly single, though I’m not sure if I am or not some days.” he said, thinking of Pepper and how distant she had been lately. The two of them weren’t really together properly right now, at least he wasn’t sure that they were, relationships had never been his forte. 

“Then I’ll tell you what,” Draco said with a smile, “solve that puzzle in your chest so I can’t hurt you with my magic and deal with the single or not issue and we’ll talk,” the healer said, draining the last of the coffee from his mug and getting to his feet. 

“Okay,” Tony said, appreciating the blunt honesty of the blond and knowing that he was right, now was not the right time for anything to happen between them, though it killed Tony to admit that. “The offer still stands though, take my bed, I’ll stay down here. I have work to do anyway.” 

“You sure?” Draco asked, thinking that a bed, even Tony’s, would be better than sleeping on the sofa. The problem was, Draco didn’t want for Tony to think that by accepting his offer of a bed that it was in any way an acceptance of a sexual relationship between the two of them. 

“More than,” Tony assured him, “you need the rest. Second floor, first door on the right,” he instructed and Draco smiled gratefully before thanking him once more for the drink and heading upstairs to bed. 

\------x

Harry woke up two nights after the fight at the Ministry of Magic. The first thing he saw was Steve asleep in an armchair across the room, and Harry quickly realised that the pressure against his side was Teddy, who was curled up next to him, fast asleep. A small movement caught his eye and he noticed was that Nick Fury was standing at the end of the bed, watching over him. 

“Director,” Harry said quietly, not wanting to wake either of the others who were sleeping so peacefully. “What are you doing here?” he asked, a little confused about why Nick Fury would appear here in the middle of the night with no explanation. 

“I wanted to tell you in person that your friend George Weasley has been transferred into the custody of the Auror office and will now be dealt with by his own people, as I believe is fair,” Nick informed Harry, keeping his tone low, knowing that both Steve and the young boy would need their rest. 

“Thank you, Director,” Harry said gratefully, it was a comfort to know that George was back in England and was being taken care of by other witches and wizards. He knew that the rest of the Weasley family would be happy in the knowledge too. 

“Rest,” Nick said with a nod, “I will be in touch, with both of you,” he added before heading for the door, however he hesitated as he reached for the handle, “Jane Foster has tried to get in contact with you,” he said, as if he had only just remembered, “shall I pass on your details to her?” 

Harry thought about it for a moment. “Yes,” he said after a short hesitation, “I don’t mind being in contact with her. She was nice enough and I’m guessing she’ll just want to know that Thor’s alright, I can’t fault her for that,” Harry said, glancing over to where Steve was still fast asleep. He knew what it felt like to not know the fate of someone he cared about, he wouldn’t allow for Jane to go through that. 

“Enjoy your family, Mr Potter,” Fury said as a parting farewell as Harry very slowly edged himself over so that he could reach Steve, being cautious not to wake Teddy. Once Nick had closed the door over, Harry took hold of his boyfriend’s hand, trying to wake him. 

“Harry…” Steve said rather sleepily, clearly a little clouded with sleep, “you’re awake,” he said, trying to focus his eyes. 

“Come to bed,” Harry pleaded, want to feel his soldier’s arms around him, knowing that he wouldn’t get back to sleep otherwise. Steve nodded, too tired and too relieved to put up any form of a fight, he allowed himself to be pulled into the bed, Harry in the middle of him and Teddy, the three of them snuggled up together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think? Only one more chapter left before the end of this story. The next chapter is over 10,000 words long and is all ready to be updated after an edit from my wonderful Beta. 
> 
> Please take a moment to leave me a comment and let me know what you think.


	27. A few months later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few months later

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter of this installment is finally here. I am currently writing an intermission chapter called "The Blackbird and the Chameleon" and I have planned out the sequel which will be called "The Fall of S.H.I.E.L.D" and be focused around the events of Winter Soldier. 
> 
> These will be posted separately to The Affliction of War so keep an eye out for them and/or come and find me on Facebook where my name is Strawbie Girrl (due to Facebook's name policy).

Pacing back and forth with worry and uncertainty, Steve wasn’t sure what to do with the information that he had been given. Harry was five months into his pregnancy, however, with the babies growing and developing at a faster rate than was normal, he was actually closer to the equivalent of seven or eight months gone; at least that was what Draco had told them during the weekly check ups. 

The healer had remained close to Harry throughout the pregnancy, monitoring it very closely, astounded by the rate of growth in the two unborn children. Aside from the theory that Draco had expressed early on when he had first diagnosed the pregnancy, there was very little else that Draco could find out about why the children were growing so fast inside of Harry’s womb. It had never happened before and there had never before been any children born from a parent with super serum in their genetic code.

They knew that at this point the twins could be born at any moment and Steve didn’t want to upset his boyfriend and bring on the labour too early. However, the news that Natasha had just delivered to him half an hour ago would probably do just that. He was sure that it just wasn’t worth the risk of telling him, though he wasn’t sure how many more secrets their relationship could take. Despite reassurances from Draco that the twins were strong, magically and physically from the tests that he had been running, they all still wanted for them remain in Harry’s belly for as long as possible.

Natasha had just informed him that Tony’s Malibu mansion had been completely destroyed the day before and Tony himself was missing, presumed to be dead. This was not something that Steve wanted to tell Harry right now, not when his boyfriend was so close to giving birth. The stress and the panic of knowing their friend might be dead would probably be enough to tip Harry over the edge. The Super Soldier had called Nick Fury seconds after he had spoken to Natasha but the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. had been rather adamant that it was not a matter for S.H.I.E.L.D. to deal with. 

The Mandarin was a human threat, not an alien nor a supernatural one of any kind, which was now the agency’s main focus; the Mandarin was certainly not a problem for the Avenger’s as a whole to be dealing with. Nick had to remind Steve that he was currently on family leave and should be enjoying time with his family instead of worrying about issues that he didn’t need to be concerned about. The Director had assured him that if he was needed they would call him, but he deserved to take the time off. 

It seemed that it had all become rather out of hand in his home country with a handful of what appeared to be terrorist bombings, all claimed to be the work of the Mandarin. Steve was debating whether or not to travel back to America anyway, regardless of what Nick had told him, knowing that he might be needed to help deal with the situation. 

However, Steve knew that it was more than likely that if he went then Harry was going to want to come along as well, which was the only thing holding him back. The wizard was never going to just sit back and allow Steve to fight without him there, especially when it involved Tony who was a close friend to them both; Harry was far too stubborn for that. 

The two of them had been talking about moving to America for a while now and were actually starting to put all the plans into place to do just that but they wouldn’t be going until after the twins were born as Harry had wanted them to be born in England and Steve had had no issues against that. 

It made perfect sense seeing as there was just no way that Harry was fit to travel now. That was all the more reason to keep him in the dark about what had happened because if Harry knew about what had happened to Tony then Steve was in no doubt that Harry would want to go to America right away, regardless of where he wanted the twins to be born. Steve just didn’t feel comfortable lying to him though. 

“Steve!” Teddy shouted, breaking the super soldier out of his musings, as the young boy barreled into the living room and threw himself at the large man, who was able to grab the nine year old and swing him around effortlessly. There were no words for how fond Steve was of this child, they had become a rather close knit family after the battle at the Ministry of Magic, something that Steve hadn’t had since his parents had died, which had been a very long time ago now. 

“Hi there, kid, how was your martial arts class?” he asked with a smile, giving the small boy a quick kiss to the cheek. Teddy and Harry were the centre of his world and he wouldn’t change that for anything but the sweetly innocent nine year old was yet another reason Steve didn’t want to share the news about what had happened to Tony. Teddy had been through enough in the last few months, he didn’t need to worry about his Uncle Tony too, not when he was so settled in his day to day routine and was so content. 

“It was great, my instructor thinks I can move up to my next belt soon,” Teddy said proudly, “I just need to be tested.” He wanted to be just like his adoptive parents, he wanted to be a hero; his Uncle Clint had promised to teach him how to use the bow and arrow as well, much to Harry’s despair. Teddy just wanted to be as bad ass as the rest of the Avengers and that wasn’t something Harry could really argue against. 

“Now that is brilliant,” Steve said, genuinely meaning it too. With Teddy being raised by two Avengers, and being in contact with the rest of them quite regularly, there was no way that the young boy wasn’t going to aspire to be like them. This aspiration certainly wasn’t helped by the little gifts that Tony kept sending over for the nine year old to play with. “Where’s Harry?” Steve asked curiously when Harry didn’t follow Teddy into the room. 

“I ran ahead,” Teddy said as he was placed back on his feet. “Can I get some juice?” he asked, smiling sweetly as Steve heard Harry coming into the house, throwing his keys down and removing the concealment charm he had been using. 

Harry was getting a fairly large belly now thanks to how fast the twins were growing and everytime he went outside he had to use a concealment charm over his stomach to stop muggles from staring at what appeared to be a rather large beer belly to the non-magical eye. To begin with it had been fine but even that was starting to become a little dubious now he was so big. Steve knew that a few of the muggle parents who had children at the school that Teddy was currently enrolled in were a little suspicious of them and thought them very peculiar. 

“Sure thing, kid, just don’t make a mess,” he said, ruffling the nine year old’s hair, which was a dark brown and had been for a while now. It was one of the lectures Harry had had to drill into Teddy, that he couldn’t use magic, especially not his abilities as a metamorphmagus, while he was in school; they wouldn’t be able to explain why he came into school with different coloured hair and eyes all the time if he did. Teddy had been brunette with emerald green eyes for a while now, though he did still like to change it when he was at home. 

“Hey, Cap,” Harry said with a happy smile as he waddled rather ungraciously into the living room, one hand on his pregnant belly, stroking it rather fondly, the other on his aching back. “How did the house hunt go, did you call the estate agent?” Harry asked; he had entrusted Steve to find somewhere for them to live in America for after the twins were born. They already had a large family home in England that was big enough for their rapidly growing family but now they needed one in America too, preferably in Washington. 

Harry had agreed after some long winded debates that they could move to America for a while so that Steve could continue his work for S.H.I.E.L.D, which was something that he genuinely wanted to do, and also have his family close. Harry had made it clear, however, that it was only until Teddy turned eleven because Harry wanted for the young boy to be able to attend Hogwarts. After a lot of debate and a few arguments, they had decided to buy somewhere in Washington, close to the Washington monument, the only trouble was actually finding somewhere while they were still living in England and unable to travel. 

“I did,” he said, pulling Harry into him as he got closer, loving the feeling of his boyfriend’s huge pregnant belly against him, knowing that his twins were inside. It had taken him a little while to get used to the idea of it, seeing a man going through the regular changes of pregnancy but now he just couldn’t get enough of it. “We have a virtual viewing setup for later this evening, after Draco has gone.” 

“Thank you,” Harry said, smiling up at his boyfriend happily, “I’ll be a lot happier knowing that we’ve got the house, it’s the final thing; though I do worry it’ll be too much for Teddy, transferring to a new school in a new country halfway through a year.” It had been on Harry’s mind a lot, he had been worrying about everything recently, he just couldn’t stop himself. He wanted his family safe and happy but to achieve that there were compromises they would all have to make. 

The house they would be viewing this evening overlooked Jefferson park and was going to cost them a fair amount but it had enough space for all of them and was secure enough that Harry would feel safe enough being there with the children when Steve was out working. Plus Harry knew that he could afford it. This was the most vital thing for both of them, they needed to make sure their family was going to be safe. Steve knew that occasionally his missions from S.H.I.E.L.D could span over a few days and he wanted to be happy in the knowledge that Harry and the children were all protected. 

“What time is Draco coming over?” Steve asked; he still wasn’t happy with the closeness of his boyfriend and the healer but he knew that Draco was the top of his profession and that Harry trusted him. Steve kept his mouth shut and tried to be around as often as he could when Draco was there because he knew that they needed the healer for the sake of the twins right now but that didn’t mean he was happy about it. 

“Half an hour,” Harry said, rubbing his belly and smiling as he felt the babies moving inside of him. Taking Steve’s hand, Harry placed it on his bump so that the super soldier could feel the movements of their children. It always made Steve smile to feel the little kicks and movements of the two babies who were fighting for space. 

“I’ll start tea then. Will he be staying?” Steve asked, thinking that it would be for the best if Draco didn’t stay for dinner, but he wasn’t going to be rude. Punching him in the face had made his feelings perfectly clear, there was no point being bitter about it. 

“I don’t know,” Harry said with a shrug, “I don’t have to offer if you don’t want, it might be nice to have a family dinner, just the three of us.” Harry was more than aware about how Steve felt about Draco and did always try to make a conscious effort not to rub their friendship in Steve’s face, knowing that it simply wouldn’t be fair to the Super Soldier, who certainly had his issues with jealousy. 

“Just the three of us,” Steve said with a smile. He felt rather on edge, knowing that he was keeping something so important from his boyfriend. He really didn’t want to hurt Harry but equally he didn’t want to worry him either. He placed a sweet kiss to the younger man’s lips before turning and heading for the kitchen. 

“Are you okay?” Harry asked, picking up on the tension as he followed Steve into the kitchen where Teddy was gulping orange juice from the carton. “Teddy, how many times have I told you?” Harry scolded, the nine year having the decency to look a little sheepish. “Get a glass or not at all.” 

“Sorry, Pa,” Teddy said as he put the carton of juice back in the fridge before moving out of the way so that Steve could grab the stuff he needed to make their dinner. 

“Have you done your homework?” Harry asked, wanting to get Teddy out of the kitchen so that he could talk to Steve. The large man had stayed very quiet and just buried himself in preparing the food and he was suspicious about why. 

Their relationship certainly wasn’t everything that the two of them had hoped it would be but Harry assumed that was just reality settling in; the one thing that they weren’t lacking though, was a decent sex life, that much at least was solid. Of course he couldn’t help but think it wasn’t going to be enough to keep them together, particularly not if Steve insisted on keeping secrets. 

“Just Maths left,” Teddy admitted and after a firm look from Harry, the nine year old sighed. “I’ll go and do it before dinner,” he said with a roll of his eyes, heading for the door, which was exactly what Harry had hoped would happen. 

Harry waited until he heard Teddy moving about in his bedroom before turning on Steve. “Come on, what is it that you’re hiding?” he asked, crossing his arms over his chest and looking at his boyfriend accusingly. 

“It’s nothing,” Steve lied, “I’m just worried about the babies is all,” he said with a sigh, making it up as he went alone. There was no reason to be concerned about the babies, he had had so many assurances that they were fine but considering how worried Harry was over them he thought it might be a convincing lie. “Every time Draco comes over I’m worried that he’s going to say that something is wrong and that man makes me uncomfortable as it is.” 

“And you’re sure that’s all it is?” Harry asked, his eyes narrowing in suspicion, not believing a word of it. The entire situation was stressing him out and he needed some time to just relax. In all honesty he needed a drink but for the moment he knew that that was out of the question, not with the children in his belly. 

Harry was struggling; this relationship with Steve was the longest he had ever been in and he wasn’t sure if it was because they did genuinely want to be together or if it was only because of the babies. He had been itching for a drink for a while now but he had refained from it but there were other aspects of his old habits that were making him feel uncomfortable with being so settled, it didn’t suit him.

“Yes,” Steve said, stopping what he was doing momentarily so that he could turn and face his boyfriend, opening his arms and allowing Harry to go to him and lean into him. “I love you, I love our family and I’m just worried. These two are growing so fast and it’s all unknown territory, we don’t know what to expect and they could be here any day now.” As he spoke he rested his hand on Harry’s belly, rejoicing the movements he felt inside. 

“I love you too,” Harry said with a sigh, pulling away from his boyfriend but not before placing a chaste kiss to his lips. “I just wish you wouldn’t keep things from me,” he added quietly, feeling rather hurt that Steve was still hiding things from him, even after everything they had been through together. 

Steve didn’t say anything, simply watching as Harry moved slowly across the room, heading for the stairs so that he could check and make sure that Teddy was actually doing as he was told and completing his homework. 

\----------x

Christmas day, as usual was to be spent at the Burrow. It was Christmas tradition for Harry and it was one he hoped never to break. This was the first Christmas, however, that he was going to be bringing a significant other with him. A lot had changed in the year since they had last gathered all together as a family and not all of it for the better. 

This was going to be the first Christmas without George at the dinner table. Harry was admittedly rather nervous about this, it wasn’t going to be a tension free day. He had been the same way when it was Fred that was missing, there had been a lot of tears that Christmas. Though at least George was still alive, he was just rotting in a cell in Azkaban, which was Harry’s fault, or at least it felt that way. 

“Are you okay?” Steve asked as Harry adjusted his clothing for what seemed to be the hundredth time while staring at his reflection in the mirror. Steve could tell that Harry was nervous, but he just wasn’t sure why. There had been a small hiccup in finding something for Harry to wear as the twins had decided on a growth spurt the day before so Harry had had to spend a good hour magically increasing the size of his waistband and jumper. 

“I’m as okay as you were the other day,” Harry said back rather grumpily. He was huge and he was uncomfortable plus about to embark on a day that was going to make him feel a whole lot worse than he already did, he didn’t want for Steve to ask him stupid questions like that because of course he wasn’t okay. Harry had been hopeful that the twins would have been born by now but the two little babies inside of him were hanging on rather stubbornly it seemed. 

He already had a throbbing headache and his back ached dreadfully, the weight of his huge stomach made him constantly uncomfortable and as a result he really wasn’t sleeping, which only made Harry moodier. Of course, Steve had been there every step of the way, the tossing and turning from his pregnant boyfriend having woken him up too and without complaining he had done whatever he could to help Harry find a comfortable position to go back off to sleep. All he had wanted was for Harry to be happy, however the wizard’s mood swings were so impressive that they were rivalled only by the Hulk. 

“Harry,” Steve said, a little taken aback by the snappish response from his boyfriend. “I know that this is difficult for you and you’re uncomfortable…” Steve started to say but Harry shook his head, wanting for Steve to be silenced. Steve had no idea what he was going through and Harry didn’t want sympathy, he just wanted for his babies to be born so everything would stop hurting. Draco had advised against potions at such a late stage, thinking that they would do more harm than good so there was nothing Harry could do other than put up with the aches and pains. 

“Don’t,” Harry said sharply, “you have no idea how it feels,” he said, waddling carefully over to the bed and sitting down, feeling a little breathless. He had no idea how he was going to cope with being at the Burrow for the whole day. All of the Weasley’s would be there, with their partners and their children; normally Harry would have loved it but he couldn’t think of anything worse right now, not when all he wanted was to crawl into bed and sleep. 

“I don’t have to come with you today,” Steve said sadly; he had been looking forward to going, mainly because he knew just how much these people meant to Harry and he had only met them a handful of times since the two of them had been together. What Steve wanted to avoid, however, was causing Harry any unnecessary unhappiness and he could see very clearly that despite his best efforts all he was doing was making things worse. 

“Damn it, stop being so reasonable, fight with me, argue, tell me I’m being a fucking prick, just stop being reasonable,” Harry said, trying not to shout, not when Teddy was only in his bedroom across the hall playing with some of his new toys. Harry might have been able to keep his voice down but he couldn’t stop the tears from welling up in his eyes as he sat there feeling like a beached whale. 

Steve sighed, kneeling in front of Harry, looking at him sympathetically as he wound his arms around Harry’s waist as best he could. “You could be the most unreasonable and grumpy person on this planet and I would never stop loving you. You are doing something amazing and I could never be anything but reasonable because you are carrying my children,” he said, resting his head on Harry’s belly. 

“You would really spend Christmas here on your own just to make me happy?” Harry asked, reaching one hand up to run his fingers through the soft blond hair of his boyfriend, rather enjoying the feeling of Steve resting against him like this. 

“I would do anything for you,” Steve said, lifting his head and kissing his boyfriend’s huge belly before leaning up a little more and pulling his lover into a passionate kiss. “I wish that you would talk to me and tell me what’s bothering you so much.” 

“You’re one to talk,” Harry said, his tone a little sulky, “something has been bothering you for days and you won’t tell me what’s bothering you. You can’t expect me to tell you everything if you won’t give me the same courtesy in return.”

Steve sighed, knowing that Harry was right but that didn’t mean he was going to tell him. He still hadn’t heard from Natasha to give him any updates about what had happened with Tony, as far as he knew their friend was still missing. “I don’t want to ruin today,” Steve said, giving Harry an apologetic look, “tonight, when we get home, I’ll tell you everything.” 

“It’s bad isn’t it?” Harry said and Steve nodded rather regretfully. “You had better tell me tonight, Steve,” Harry said with a pointed stare, making sure that his boyfriend knew he meant it. 

Nodding his agreement to this, knowing that he couldn’t hide it from Harry much longer if Tony really was dead, Steve resigned himself to what was undoubtedly going to be a very long day followed by a longer evening. “Will you tell me what’s bothering you now?” 

Harry closed his eyes, willing himself not to cry as he thought about it, the mixed emotions and never ending rollercoaster of feelings was another reason that made him just want the two babies to arrive already. He just wanted to feel normal again and be in control of his own emotions. “This is the first Christmas without George,” Harry said softly, really struggling to come to terms with this. 

“That isn’t your fault,” Steve said firmly, not for a second believing that Harry didn’t blame himself for what had happened to George. “He made his own choices in life, you did everything you could to try and save him and Harry... you didn’t kill him when he asked you to.” 

“Molly, she’s lost two of her children now and both of them were because of me,” Harry said sadly, losing the battle with his tears and seeing no point in trying to hold them back any longer, simply allowing them to trickle down his cheeks. 

“I can’t speak for how this woman feels,” Steve said as he reached up and wiped the tears from his boyfriend’s cheeks, “but I highly doubt that she would welcome you back into her home if she blamed you for any of it,” he said with determination, wanting to make Harry realise that it really wasn’t his fault. “You know that neither of us have to go today, I’m sure we could manage a decent meal here for the three of us.” 

Harry smiled at the thought; the two of them might have had their fair share of faults in their relationship but there was one thing for sure, they would both do anything for the other. “No,” Harry said, shaking his head with a small, watery smile, “I’ve been going to the Burrow for Christmas since I was a teenager, I can’t just not go. I think that that would be worse, plus I want you to meet my family, with everything going on you haven’t yet and they’re important to me.” 

“Then we’ll go, we’ll smile and we’ll eat but if it gets too much then we can come home. I’m sure no one is going to judge you for wanting to leave early,” Steve said, trying to comfort his heavily pregnant boyfriend, leaning up to give him another kiss, however, before he could, a very over excited Teddy came bounding into the room, brandishing the bow and arrow that Clint had sent him for Christmas. 

“Pa, please can I take this with me?” Teddy asked with excitement. The arrows had been especially made to be blunted at the end so that they wouldn’t cause actual harm but Harry still wasn’t thrilled that Teddy had been sent such an item, it certainly wasn’t a toy that was for sure. 

“Absolutely not,” Harry said firmly, shaking his head as Steve got to his feet, smiling at the enthusiasm Teddy had for his new weapon, “and I told you not to play with it in the house!” Ever since he had learnt who they all were, and researched everything he could about S.H.I.E.L.D., all the nine year old could talk about was becoming an Avenger like his adoptive parents. 

“Put it away kid,” Steve said with a smile, “we’ve got to get going soon so make sure that you’ve got your shoes on.” The super soldier, after delivering these instructions, turned to help Harry up to his feet, something the wizard was struggling with nowadays. 

Teddy took off at a run to do as he was told, excited to be going to see the Weasleys and all of his cousins. He had been told that he couldn’t take any of the gadgets that Tony had sent him as gifts because they wouldn’t work, not around so much magic. Harry had also thought that it was for the best that the rather advanced chemistry sent sent to him by Bruce remain behind. 

“Ready?” Harry asked, feeling a little lightheaded but knowing that he had probably just stood up too fast. He wasn’t sure that he was ready himself but he knew that this was something that he had to do, not only for Teddy but for Molly and the rest of the Weasley’s as well. They would want to see him, they would want to see Steve and, if he were honest with himself, he wanted to see all of them, he just wasn’t sure that he was up for it right now. 

\---------x

“Well,” Molly said, looking Steve up and down with awe as she opened the front door to the Burrow to greet her guests, “the jumper I knitted for you isn’t going to fit at all,” she said with a tutt of disapproval and Harry couldn’t help but laugh. The knight bus had just dropped them off outside of the Weasley family home and now that he was here, Harry felt a lot more at ease and relaxed than he thought that he would. 

“I don’t think mine is either,” he said with a smile, rubbing at his swollen belly. It was weird how he always felt so at home here when it had never actually been home. However, these people were his family and he loved them all. 

“Goodness, you haven’t got long left,” Molly said with a smile, “come on inside, everyone is already here. Teddy, your cousins are… well they’re everywhere, why don’t you go and see if you can find some of them,” she said, smiling kindly at the nine year old. 

“Thanks, Nana Molly,” Teddy said as he ran off into the house much to the amusement of Harry and Steve, who were ushered inside of the Burrow. It was a comfort to have Steve by his side, one arm around his waist, supporting him, as he entered the sitting room to see Percy and his wife Audrey sat with their youngest daughter, Lucy, on their lap. 

“Harry,” Percy said, making sure that the eighteen month old was fully on her mother’s lap before standing up to greet them, “it’s good to see you again,” he said as he offered his hand out to shake, which Harry took, smiling at him. 

“It’s good to see you too,” Harry said truthfully, “I don’t believe you’ve met my boyfriend, this is Steve,” he introduced, turning to Steve and smiling as the super soldier offered his hand to Percy who shook it rather enthusiastically, clearly in awe of the large man. 

“We’ve heard a lot about you,” Percy said as Harry went to take up the seat that Percy had vacated, unable to remain on his feet any longer. He was more than happy to leave Steve to talk to Percy, thinking it rather funny to throw his boyfriend in at the deep end with the Weasley family.

“You don’t mind do you?” Harry asked, turning to Audrey who he had only ever met during the Christmas dinner’s at the Burrow. They didn’t talk much but they were friendly to one another at least, they didn’t really have very much in common. She was a very plain young lady, shoulder length light brown hair and hazel eyes. 

“Oh, not at all,” Audrey returned, smiling. “How far along are you?” she asked politely, gesturing to Harry’s rather large stomach. 

“Five months,” Harry said, rather enjoying how shocked Audrey looked. No one ever believed him when he told them that he was only five months gone, but he did rather love their shocked expressions. 

“Goodness, are you having quads?” she asked, rather taken aback, Harry couldn’t help but burst out laughing at the suggestion. He couldn’t imagine having four babies all at once, it was bad enough that he was having twins with his very first pregnancy, quads was just beyond comprehension. 

“No, just twins,” Harry responded, rubbing at his swollen belly as he felt a few small kicks, “I think two newborns and Teddy are going to more than enough for the two of us.” 

“Harry,” another voice said, coming into the sitting room, “I didn’t know you were here,” Ginny said as she came into the room and headed right towards him. What Harry was astounded by was the fact she was carrying a tiny baby in her arms. 

“Ginny,” Harry said happily as he struggled to his feet, though Steve had to help him after a couple of moments when it became clear that he was not going to manage it on his own. “Please tell me that this little thing isn’t yours,” he said in astonishment, peering into the bundle of blankets in her arms.

“Yeah,” Ginny said beaming proudly at her small daughter, “this is Dora and she’s a month old, would you like to hold her?” she asked Harry smiling. 

“I didn’t even know that you were seriously seeing anyone,” Harry said as he accepted the small bundle of pink blankets into his arms, he had thought she was dating Justin but he hadn’t thought that it was anything serious. The tiny baby was fast asleep and clearly had tufts of bright head hair atop her head. “She’s beautiful,” Harry said, smiling down at the little girl, “who’s the father?”

“Well, you remember that one time we slept together…” Harry shot her a warning look before she could finish the sentence, shaking his head, Ginny could only laugh rather manically, she had always enjoyed teasing Harry.

“Steve, please ignore all sleep deprived ramblings from my best friend’s sister,” he said, turning to his boyfriend who had gone a little tense by his side. “Ginny, this is my boyfriend, Steve and the father of my unborn twins.” 

“Ah, the muggle with the super sperm and the super everything else by the looks of it,” Ginny said, looking Steve up and down appreciatively, her gaze lingering a little too long in a certain area of the super soldier’s anatomy. “I can certainly see why you decided to settle down with him, tell me… is his, you know, as impressive as the rest of him?” 

“Ginny!” Harry said in shock, covering the baby’s ears as Audrey got to her feet, putting Lucy on her hip and excusing herself from the room, Percy, flushing a little red at his sister’s question, following after his wife, not wanting to listen to this conversation. “You shouldn’t say things like that when there are little ears in the room!” 

“Oh relax, it’s not like I used the word penis,” Ginny said with a dismissive wave of her hand. She loved Harry but he was a brother to her now, whatever had happened between them in the past was well and truly over, they were never going to be anything other than friends, they felt too much like siblings to one another now. 

“Language!” Steve said, looking at the young girl with shock, not used to such crude behaviour from young women. Girls would never have been so forward in his day and even now he wasn’t used to hearing such language from their mouths. 

“Fairly sure you just did,” Harry said to Ginny with a giggle, more amused at Steve’s reaction than anything else, he was adorably sweet and old fashioned at times and Harry found it rather endearing that he was so sweet and innocent. 

With a sigh, Steve chose to ignore what Ginny had just said without passing any more comments and instead offered his hand out for her to shake. “Steve Roger’s,” he said and Ginny took his hand with a rather flirtatious smile on her face.

“Ginny Weasley, and trust me, the pleasure is all mine,” she said with a wink. 

“I’m guessing the father of this lovely young lady isn’t here today,” Harry said at Ginny’s shameless flirting, giving her a rather exasperated look. 

“No,” Ginny said, her entire demeanor changing as she accepted her daughter back from Harry, “he’s taking Dora for boxing day though,” she said and it pained her to say it, she didn’t like handing over her little girl to spend any significant time away from her, especially not to Justin who had become rather cruel to her in the end. 

“‘Arry,” another voice said, distracting Harry from what he had been about to say to Ginny. Fleur came bustling into the room, her beautiful face beaming at the sight of him, “it is so wonderful to see you!” she said as she placed a kiss to each cheek. 

“Hi Fleur,” Harry said, becoming a little overwhelmed as more and more family members came to see him. He didn’t come to see them all often enough, that much was clear but his life had always been so busy and usually too dangerous with his various missions and now with the pregnancy too. It was only going to make it worse now Harry and Steve were planning to move to America, something that none of the Weasley’s knew. 

“It ‘as been so long,” she said, “come into ze kitchen and we can talk,” she said, putting her arm around his shoulder, “Bill is dying to see you.” Harry cast a glance over his shoulder to see where Steve was and gave him a stern glare when he saw that he was trying not to laugh. 

\--------------x 

By the time dinner was on the table and everyone was seated, Harry was exhausted. He had been smiling, helping as much as he could and making general chit chat with all of them. Harry loved everyone here but he really wasn’t feeling up to such an intense family gathering. There were so many youngsters and all of them buzzing with energy. 

Teddy was the eldest at nine and the youngest was Ginny’s little girl, Dora. In total there were eight of them and none of them were willing to sit still, not even those who had been put into highchairs and were now complaining quite loudly. Dora was crying valiantly as her sleep was interrupted by the other crying toddlers. 

Through it all, Molly was beaming, clearly in her element. Arthur too didn’t seem to mind the havoc because having his children and grandchildren around him made it entirely worth it. The only one of their children still living at home was Ginny, who had had to move back in after her split with Justin; Molly and Arthur had been more than happy to have her back as well as welcoming Dora into their home. 

No one said anything about Fred and George being absent, it weighed on Harry a lot but no one else wanted to bring it up so Harry didn’t either. As much as the manicness of the house was bothering Harry, he was glad that it at least seemed to be keeping Molly and Arthur’s mind from the twins. Though he couldn’t help but wonder if their smiles were as pained and forced as his own. 

“You okay?” Steve asked having just finished his second plate of food. He had not wanted a second helping but Molly had all but forced it in front of him and insisted he eat, and not wanting to be rude, Steve had done just that, much to the amusement of Harry. 

“Yeah,” Harry said with a pained groan, “Draco said I’d feel some twinges, he just failed to say that they would hurt this much,” Harry grumbled. The braxton hicks were only the start of his problems though, his head was throbbing painfully and his back ached, all he wanted to do was go home and sleep. 

“We could go…” Steve suggested, not wanting for his boyfriend to over do it. Draco had recommended that Harry take it easy and mainly he had been doing so, however, today was always going to be rather stressful on him. 

“No,” Harry said with a sigh, wanting to leave but knowing that he couldn’t just go, and besides, Teddy was having far too much of a good time and would be disappointed to leave now. “I’ll be okay, I’ll tell you if it gets too much, Cap, I promise,” he added, placing a chaste kiss to his boyfriend’s cheek as Ron got to his feet, making a clinking noise with his spoon and wine glass to get everyone’s attention. 

“I know that it’s usually Dad who gives these speeches,” Ron said, feeling rather out of place with everyone staring at him but there was something that he needed to get out, “and I’m not going to break that particular tradition, but I have announcement to make.” 

“We have an announcement to make,” Hermione said, giving him a nudge and a stern look that made a lot of the occupants around the table laugh a little. All those that were overage and not pregnant or breast feeding were a little merry by now having drank a fair amount of mead and wine. 

“You’re pregnant?” Teddy shouted out and Hermione couldn’t help but blush a little and Ron smiled, nodding his confirmation that this was indeed the news that he was about to share. This news was of course met with a chorus of congratulations, another Weasley was due to arrive into the world in June next year. 

In the midst of everyone congratulating Ron and Hermione, Steve felt his phone vibrating; he was rather surprised that he was getting any reception on it or that it worked at all with all the magic in the house. He recognized Natasha’s number at once and excused himself from the room to answer it, needing to be away from the racket. 

Harry followed his boyfriend with his eyes, confused as to what could be so important that he would leave in the middle of dinner. Thinking that it was going to be whatever it was that he had been hiding from him, Harry struggled to his feet and went after his boyfriend, desperate to know what it was that Steve was trying to keep hidden from him. 

“And he’s okay?” Harry heard Steve say into his phone. The super soldier had gone to stand in the garden, presumably to get away from any magic that might have caused any interference with the mobile he was using. “Is there anything I can do?” Silence descended for a moment. “Check in with me tomorrow, and if there is anything I can do let me know.” 

When Steve ended the call and turned around he saw Harry stood there with his arms over his chest, looking at him as if he had been utterly betrayed. “What’s going on Steve?” he asked, looking at his boyfriend pleadingly. Harry didn’t want anymore secrets, he hated that their relationship was teaming with them, they were an infection and if they weren’t careful they were going to take away everything good and pure that they had. 

“There was a situation with Tony, he’s fine, alive,” Steve said, realising that he was going to have to tell him. It was a good thing that he had been planning on telling him tonight anyway really. Steve had just been hoping that it could have waited until later because he had something else that he wanted to talk to Harry about first.

“There was doubt that he was alive?” Harry asked in shock, feeling a little winded at this blow, unable to believe that Steve had kept something like this from him. “How could you not tell me something like that?” 

“Because there was no certainty either way and I didn’t want you to worry,” Steve said, trying to get Harry to see why he had kept this from him. “Until we knew anything for certain I didn’t want to add any more stress, I thought I was doing the right thing.” 

“How are we mean to be a couple when we can’t even talk to one another?” Harry asked, feeling a little heartbroken, their communication skills were sorely lacking and they had been ever since they had first met. It wasn’t one’s fault more than the other; they were both guilty of it.

“We work on it,” Steve said, unwilling to lose Harry over this. “I was going to tell you this evening, when we got home, whether I had heard from Natasha or not. I know that probably doesn’t help now but it was my intention.” 

“This is Tony, he’s our friend,” Harry said, trying to focus on his breathing as another braxton hick contraction tightened across his belly. “Why didn’t you just tell me this morning when I asked you?” 

“Because there was something else I wanted to talk to you about today and I didn’t want that looming over you,” Steve said, fidgeting a little with nerves. He and Harry hadn’t been together that long but he knew that he loved the wizard and that he never wanted to be away from him, it was all that mattered to Steve now, him and the family they had together. 

“Steve, you’re scaring me now, what did you want to talk to me about?” Harry asked, fearful of what it might be. It sounded so ominous and he was worried that Steve was going to leave him, having had enough and realising that it was pointless to even try and work things out. 

“I was really hoping that I could do this properly,” Steve said with regret. “I had it all planned out you know, I was going to ask Molly while I helped her tidy up after dinner, I wanted to do it right.” 

“Do what right?” Harry asked, more confused than ever. That didn’t sound as if Steve wanted to break up with him as he had originally thought but that didn’t mean that he had any clue what Steve was going on about. 

“This,” Steve said, reaching into his pocket and bringing out a small box. He had had his reservations about doing this so soon, thinking that they simply hadn’t been together long enough and that there were simply too many issues between them. However, Steve had put all of that aside, knowing that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Harry and wanting to show him that. 

“What are you doing?” Harry asked, lost for words as Steve went down on one knee. He didn’t understand what was going on, there had been no hints, not even the slight suggestion that this might happen at all, it certainly wasn’t something that Harry had been expecting. 

“If you let me,” Steve said with a soft smile on his face, “I’m trying to propose to you.” As he said this, he rather enjoyed the look of utter shock on Harry’s face. “I realise that this is a shock,” he added, “and I know we have our problems, but I have never had any doubt about how I feel about you. I want to spend my life with you, for better or for worse, so please, would you do the honour of marrying me?” 

Harry honestly didn’t know what to say. Everything that Steve had said was true, they did have their issues but what couple didn’t. No one was perfect, not even them. Draco’s words before the battle at the Ministry had stayed with Harry for a long time, making him wonder if they were only together because he had fallen pregnant. However, he knew that he did love Steve despite all of this and he knew that he didn’t want to leave him, he was moving to America just so they could be together. 

There was a small part of him that thought that it was way too soon. They had met at the beginning of August and it was now the end of December, he was pregnant with superhuman twins that were growing faster than was normal and nothing about their lives had been slow paced up until this point but all that aside, Harry knew what his answer was going to be. 

“Yes,” Harry said a little breathlessly, unable to believe that with everything going on and all of the issues they were having as a couple that he was agreeing to this. With his hormones on overdrive all he could think of was keeping his family together and this was the perfect way to do that. 

“What?” Steve asked, a little taken aback that Harry had agreed so readily without even needing more than a few moments of hesitation before agreeing. He honestly thought that Harry would have needed a little more time to think things through. 

“If you seriously mean that then yes,” Harry said, no doubt in his mind that this was the right answer to give. All the issues they had they could work through and this was the type of security and reassurance he needed right now. “I do want to marry you,” he added when Steve didn’t respond, looking entirely too shocked that the answer had been a positive one. 

“You’re getting married?” a little voice said from behind Harry. Teddy had snuck up behind them and had been listening in on their conversation; it was a bad habit that he had been getting into recently, not wanting to miss anything that was going on. 

Harry turned to his Godson and smiled, opening his arms to the nine year old who came and cuddled into his side. “I think that we are,” he said in response as Steve came over to join in the hug. It was moments like these that Harry savoured, the three of them, together, soon to be five of them.

“Are you three coming in for Christmas pudding?” Molly asked as she bustled into the kitchen and spotted the three of them lingering just out of the doorway in the garden. 

“Sure,” Harry said before anyone else could, Teddy separating from the hug and running in towards Molly, an excited look on his face. 

“Pa’s getting married,” he told her, beaming up at her. He was already beyond excited for the arrival of two new little cousins that he would get to help look after, like they were his brother and sister. Now that Harry and Steve were going to get married he was finally going to have a proper family like people were supposed to. 

“And when did this happen?” Molly asked, smiling at the two of them as they came back into the room. Harry was looking a little red in the face, clearly slightly embarrassed, he didn’t want to overshadow Ron and Hermione who had just announced that they would be having another baby, it wasn’t fair on them. 

“Just now,” Teddy told her excitedly, “Steve asked Pa to marry him,” he told Molly, who was smiling at Teddy happily. She always did enjoy it when her family gave her reason to feel all warm and content. She felt a huge relief in knowing that Harry was finally getting married, that he had found a man good enough for him too. 

“Well that’s brilliant,” Molly said, going forward and embracing Harry as best she could considering his swollen belly. “Congratulations,” she said, turning to Steve and hugging him too. Molly knew that Steve was a good man and he was a good man for Harry too and she was very happy to welcome him into her family. 

“Maybe we should keep this to ourselves though,” Harry said, looking to Steve somewhat apologetically. “Not because I want to keep it a secret,” he hastened to add, “I just don’t want to overshadow Ron and Hermione’s big news. Let them have the limelight for the evening, we can announce our engagement at new year.” 

Pressing a kiss to Harry’s temple, Steve nodded his agreement to this. He couldn’t disagree with Harry’s logic here. “I suppose you won’t want to wear this then?” he asked, holding up the ring he had bought teasingly. 

“I said I didn’t want to announce it just yet,” Harry said, turning around so that he was looking up into his fiancé’s eyes, his pregnant belly being supported partially by Steve, “that doesn’t mean that I don’t want to wear it, but I don’t want to put it on myself.” 

Steve couldn’t help but laugh. “I think I can handle that,” he said, pulling the simple gold band out of the small box it had come in and took Harry’s hand into his own and slid the ring on to his finger. “Perfect,” he said, his voice barely a whisper as he leaned down to kiss the younger man. 

\-------------x

Steve had had a rough flight, it had been long and tedious, the person sitting next to him having recognised him from the Battle of New York and couldn’t stop asking him questions and flirting with him, something he hadn’t appreciated for the eight hour flight. 

Disembarking from the plane in New York at two o’clock in the afternoon, Steve dragged his phone out of his bag, wanting to let Harry know that he had arrived safely. It had taken a lot for Harry to convince him that he would be fine and that it would be perfectly okay to go to Tony’s New Years Eve party. The rest of the Avenger’s were going to be there along with many other guests of course and even though Harry had been invited there was no way he was up for the long flight or a full night socialising and being nice to people he didn’t know.

Steve was a little concerned that he was going to miss the birth of his twins but Harry had practically forced him out of the door, saying that Steve deserved some down time where he wasn’t waiting on him hand and foot. Draco had moved into the spare bedroom so that he would be there if Harry needed anything, not that Steve was happy about that but truth be told he did need the slight respite. 

Harry had gone into wedding planning mode, which combined with his hormones from the pregnancy was making him a little unbearable. If he wasn’t in a complete grump then he was sobbing his heart out, the emotional rollercoaster was pushing Steve to the very limit so he was glad to get away. Though he had promised that he was going to be on a flight home on New year’s day regardless of what Harry said. 

“Steve,” a familiar voice shouted across the airport, “Steve!” The super soldier looked across the crowded arrivals hall and saw Tony sprinting towards him, a look of panic on his face, something which really concerned Steve. 

“What is it?” he asked as Tony came to an abrupt stop in front of him. 

“Harry,” Tony said, a little breathless from running. 

“What about Harry?” Steve demanded, instantly on edge at the mention of his fiancé. 

“He’s been trying to call you,” Tony said, “when he couldn’t get hold of you he called me.” 

“I’ve been on the flight, I haven’t had a chance to switch it back on yet,” Steve said in a panic, switching his mobile on to see if Harry had left any messages. “What the hell is going on, Tony?” 

“He’s gone into labour,” Tony explained and at this Steve looked utterly horrified, frozen in place, not knowing what to do first or even how to react to this news. “I’ve prepared the private jet to take you back right now, should shave a couple hours off the flight time, three if you parachute in.” 

“The parachutes are under the seat right?” Steve said, which shocked Tony a little. He had not expected for his suggestion to be taken seriously. 

“I was joking but yes, if you chose to do it, they’re under the seat,” he said, still trying to think out how it was going to work if Steve did decide to jump from the plane. 

“Show me to the plane,” Steve said with a tone of urgency in his voice. Harry was in labour and he was eight hours away, he didn’t care what it took he was going to be there to see his children born. 

\------------x

“No,” Harry said adamantly. Draco was rather anxious to get Harry undressed and into bed so that he could carry out the birth of the twins. It had been two hours since Harry had gone into labour and it was moving too quickly but as usual Harry was being stubborn. 

“Harry, I have to,” Draco said, he was ready to deliver the two children and it needed to happen before there were complications. The twins needed to be born and soon before the babies or Harry were hurt because they had waited too long. 

“No, Steve isn’t here,” Harry said adamantly. When he had convinced Steve to take a couple days, visit his friends in America and celebrate new Year with them, he had not expected to go into labour. He didn’t want to give birth to their twins without Steve there with him. 

“Steve’s in America, it’s unlikely that he’ll get back in time,” Draco said, thinking that with the eight hour flight time and travelling from the airport it just wasn’t going to happen. Harry was being slightly delusional if he thought otherwise, and Draco could see very clearly that Harry was not thinking straight. Though, if Draco were honest with himself, he didn’t blame Harry at all. He had never seen him so scared before, not with any of the injuries that he had sustained working as an Auror. This was uncharted territory and, despite his training, Draco was nervous too. 

“No, he’ll be here, trust me, he’ll be here!” Harry said as he paced, completely convinced that Steve was going to make it back no matter what it took. He hadn’t been able to get through to his fiancé, however, he had spoken to Tony and even he could understand the importance of the situation. Harry was sure that Steve was going to make it, he just had to hang on a little longer. 

“Harry, he probably doesn’t even know you’re in labour,” Draco said, trying to reason with the pregnant male. He knew that if Harry didn’t want to lie down and allow him to perform the magic needed for the birth then he wasn’t going to do it. However, he needed to stress the seriousness of what could happen if he didn’t do it. 

“Tony would have told him!” Harry snapped irritably as a contraction made him stop his pacing and crouch on the floor, tears welling in his eyes. Harry was no stranger to pain, but this was something else entirely; he had never experienced anything quite like this in his life, which was saying something consider his years of abuse at the Dursley’s, the many years of battles he had suffered through.

“Harry,” Draco said, going down on to the floor so that he was knelt in front of Harry, wanting to come down on to his level, “if we don’t start the process soon then something could go wrong. The twins need to be born soon, if they’re not then they’re going to start to get distressed which isn’t going to be good for you or them.” 

“I just want Steve here,” Harry said desperately and Draco nodded his head, hating that Harry was getting so worked up over this. 

“I know,” Draco said softly, “Steve is probably kicking himself that he isn’t here but he wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself or the twins by trying to wait for him. You’ve always trusted me to look after you Harry, please trust me now.” 

Nodding, Harry allowed for Draco to help him up from the floor, leading him over to his bed that had been prepared for the birth when Harry’s labour had first started. They had been waiting for Steve for the last four hours but they couldn’t wait any longer. Harry didn’t want to give birth without his fiancé with him but now he didn’t seem to have a choice. 

“Draco,” Harry whimpered as he was helped on to the bed, his hands trembling a little, “I’m scared,” he admitted. Draco knew that it had taken a lot for Harry to admit to that because he was not a man that scared easily. 

“I know,” Draco said, trying to sound reassuring, “but I’m not going to let anything happen to you or these children, I promise you that I am going to do everything in my power to make sure you’re all going to be alright.” 

Harry nodded his head, knowing that Draco was right. He had trusted his healer ever since he had passed his training and become an Auror for the Ministry of Magic, Harry had no reason not to trust Draco to bring his children into the world. The love that the healer had for Harry seemed only to strengthen his determination to help care for him, something Harry couldn’t fault. 

\----------x

There was only half an hour left until Steve was in the drop zone that he needed to be in to parachute out and land in the street that he lived in. While on the flight he had changed into his Captain America suit, thinking that it would be more suitable for skydiving than his civilian clothes. 

He had a sinking feeling that he had missed it; he was kicking himself that he had left at all, he knew that he shouldn’t have. He was so anxious that he hadn’t been able to sit still for the entire flight, and after so much travelling he was exhausted but he was determined that not even that was going to stop him. He needed to be there for Harry and their children. 

“Ready to drop, Captain,” the pilot said over the intercom system. Steve grabbed for the parachute, putting it on with practiced ease. He was feeling very on edge but he knew that he had to focus, it wouldn’t do to injure himself in his haste to reach Harry.

“Ready,” Steve shouted and the back of the plane started to open ready for his departure. Checking that his parachute was correctly clipped together, Steve headed for the opening, walking out of the plane and starting to free fall. 

\------------x  
Harry had fallen asleep with pure exhaustion; his body had been through a lot in the last few hours. The amount of magic it took to safely deliver male pregnancies was excruciatingly long and arduous for both the caster and the person on the receiving end. 

Fast asleep in their moses baskets that stood side by side next to Harry’s bed were two unnamed babies, wrapped in their swaddling blankets. One little girl and one little boy, making Draco sure that his theory to do with these children had been correct. 

He had had a lot of time to research the super serum while Harry had been pregnant, Steve had ensured that he had had full access to the S.H.I.E.L.D. files on it too and he had come to the conclusion that the combination of serum and magic was taking the best of everything and if it couldn’t decide what gene was more superior then it either combined or gave both. 

This was the reason that it had been twins because no gender was more superior than the other and that was something that couldn’t be physically combined. However, their eye colour had been; the serum had taken the genes of both Harry and Steve, combining them together to create brilliant turquoise eyes that were beyond beautiful. 

It looked like their hair colour might have been combined as well. Little tufts of light brown hair were sticking up from their tiny heads, darker than Steve’s pale blond but lighter than Harry’s mass of black hair. The little girl was slightly smaller than the boy, weighing only seven pounds. The little boy, who had been born first, only fifteen ounces heavier. They were in perfect health; Draco had run every test possible to make sure that they didn’t need to go to St Mungo’s to be monitored after being born so early but there had been nothing wrong with them. 

“I missed it,” a heartbroken voice said from the doorway making Draco jump. He had been staring so intently at the two sleeping babies that he hadn’t heard Steve return. 

“By about an hour,” Draco said as he turned to face the super soldier, quite surprised to see him in his uniform. “I’m surprised you made it this quickly if we’re honest,” the healer said, “I honestly didn’t expect you for another two hours if not three.” 

“I didn’t wait for the plane to land,” Steve said as he edged quietly into the room, ignoring the confused expression on Draco’s face at his comment. Steve paused as he reached the two wicker moses baskets, peering inside in awe. “I’m a dad,” he said, sounding a little shocked. “Do they have names yet… did Harry...?”

“No, I think he wanted to wait for you,” Draco said with a fond smile as he gazed over to Harry who was still sleeping peacefully, “it was difficult enough to convince him to give birth without you here. He was rather adamant that he didn’t want to and he hung on for as long as he could but any longer would have hurt him or the babies.” 

“I shouldn’t have gone,” Steve said, annoyed at himself all over again. Harry had known how much he had wanted to be here and had almost done himself harm trying to hang on for him to get back. He was just grateful that Harry and their twins had made it through with no complications. He couldn’t take his eyes off the twins, one wrapped in pink, the other in blue, they were so small and so perfect and he had helped to create them. 

“If you hadn’t have gone willingly then Harry would have kicked you out,” Draco said with amusement, “you both needed the break from each other, it’s been fairly intense with you two for the past few months. It was just bad luck that they were born while you were away.” 

“Thank you,” Steve said, surprising even himself as he said this, “for being there when I wasn’t and getting them all through this.” 

“It’s my job,” Draco said with a shrug, knowing that that wasn’t exactly the entire truth but it was close enough. They didn’t need to rehash old grievances or revisit what they both knew about the feelings that Draco had for Harry. What mattered was that Harry and the two babies were safe and alive. 

Steve gave a small nod and a smile to Draco, wanting to show his gratitude no matter how much he didn’t like him. “Is Teddy in his room?” Steve asked, thinking that the house seemed oddly quiet without the nine year old bouncing around. He had thought that Teddy might have been with Harry for the birth, not wanting to leave his side but there seemed to be no sign of him. 

“No,” Draco said quickly, “Harry thought that it was for the best if he went to stay with Molly for a couple days. Ginny and Dora are still at the Burrow too and Molly does like to be busy. She said that you guys can go and pick him up whenever you’re ready, even if that’s in a couple weeks. I think she likes having all the children around again.” 

“We’ll fetch him soon, he’ll want to meet his siblings,” Steve said, sitting himself down on the edge of the bed, gazing into the moses baskets, still unable to believe that he had created these little creatures. “Can I pick them up?” he asked, looking to Draco questioningly, unsure if he was allowed, they looked so fragile and he didn’t want to break them. 

“They’re your children,” Draco said with a shrug, finding it highly amusing that Steve was asking if he could. He was only sorry that Harry wasn’t awake to share in the amusement too. 

“What if I hurt them?” Steve asked, a little worried that with his super strength he could do some serious damage to something so small and fragile. 

“You won’t,” Draco said, “but I will leave you too it, it’s been a long night,” he added as the clocks in the distance started chiming, making Draco smile. “Happy New Year,” he said with a smile as he headed out of the room, leaving the family to bring in the new year together in peace. 

The clocks, followed by the mass amount of fireworks had the two newborns stirring unhappily in their sleep and suddenly Steve was in a panic, he had no idea what to do. He had never held a baby so tiny before, he wasn’t even sure he had seen a newborn before today and now they were his responsibility. He had been about to call Draco back when he heard, “Steve,” mumbled out of his fiancé’s lips, emerald eyes blinking at him sleepily. 

“Harry… help me, I don’t know what I’m doing,” Steve said desperately as the little girl started to cry, followed in quick succession by her brother, who equally wanted to make his discomfort known. 

“You take him, I’ll take her,” Harry said, shuffling himself up the bed, reaching over for his newborn daughter to comfort her. Steve didn’t move, instead watching Harry carefully before coming forward to copy what he had done. Harry thought it rather endearing that Steve didn’t know what he was doing.

“I don’t want to hurt him,” Steve said, as he reached into the basket and brushed a finger over his son’s cheek. The little unnamed boy was still screaming for attention and Steve had no idea what to do or if he might hurt the little baby. 

“Don’t be ridiculous, you’re his father,” Harry said with a sigh. As endearing as he found Steve’s anxiousness, his fiancé was going to have to get over that quickly. “Put a hand under his bum and another under his head, and pick him up.”

“I won’t hurt him?” Steve asked, wanting to make sure before he even attempted to pick up the tiny child. 

“You won’t hurt him,” Harry said with a smile, watching as Steve did as he had instructed and very carefully picked up his son. The super soldier was in complete awe of the perfect little bundle of baby that he had helped to create. 

“Have you thought about what you’re going to call them?” Steve asked, not knowing where he would even start if Harry left it up to him. 

“I’ve had some ideas but I wanted to make sure you didn’t mind first,” Harry said, amazed that Steve seemed utterly clueless about his role in the lives of these children. 

“You wanted my opinion?” Steve asked, a little overwhelmed as he looked down at his son, still struggling to believe that he was their father. 

“Yes,” Harry said with a laugh, “of course I want your opinion. They are your children just as much as they are mine. I want you to like their names, particularly given what I was thinking.”

“Okay, what were you thinking?” Steve asked dubiously. He knew that times had moved on and that some names were not as traditional as they used to be. 

“For the little guy you’re holding I was thinking Joseph-James and for this little princess Sarah-Lily,” he said, watching Steve closely for his reaction. 

“After our parents,” Steve said with a soft smile, adjusting to having the tiny baby in his arms and thinking that the names that Harry had picked were utterly perfect. “I love them,” he said, gazing down at his son. 

Harry couldn’t believe how tiny JJ looked in comparison to his large, muscular father. He was a small baby anyway but in the arms of the super soldier he seemed even smaller. Switching his focus to Sarah-Lily, Harry knew that it was time for a feed for the two little babies. The five of them were going to to be fine together, at least he hoped that they were, all that was left was for Teddy to meet his new little siblings. Harry couldn’t wait to show his eldest son the two new additions to their family, as soon as he was able he was going to go and fetch the nine year old, it just didn’t feel right not having him with them. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think? I'm telling you tying off stories is tricky! Please don't forget to leave me a comment and let me know your thoughts on the final chapter and keep a look out for the next few stories in this series!! 
> 
> Thank you for reading, you guys mean the world to me!

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first ever cross over fanfiction so I really hope that you enjoy it. I will be updating as regularly as I can but I have a few other fics on the go at the moment as please be patient. For the moment please take a moment to leave a review and let me know what you think.


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